? 


'  r.  T  •  ' 


BX  8937  .17  1923 
Irvine,  Mary  D. 

Pioneer  women  of  tlie 
Presbyterian  Church,  United 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2019  with  funding  from 
Princeton  Theological  Seminary  Library 


https://archive.org/details/pioneerwomenofprOOirvi 


The  Winsborough  Building  at  Monlreat  and  the  Woman’s  Advisory  Committee  of  1922. 


PIONEER 

Of  T 

Presbyterian  Church,  United 

States 

♦ 

By 

y 

MARY  D.  IRVINE 

And 

ALICE  L.  EASTWOOD 


WOMEN 


HE 


H  OF  PRI NCtl 


■■ 


APR  22  1983 


Geological  se#'v 


PUBLISHED  BY 


PRESBYTERIAN  COMMITTEE  OF  PUBLICATION, 
RICHMOND,  VA. 


Copyright,  1923  by 

Presbyterian  Committee  of  Publication, 
Richmond,  Va. 


Printed  in  United  States  of  America. 


DEDICATION 


To  the  memory  of  the  Holy  Women  of  the  past  genera¬ 
tions,  whose  labors  and  sacrifices  in  the  pioneer  days  of  our 
country,  laid  the  foundations  of  the  Church’s  growth  and 
prosperity,  this  volume,  which  records,  in  part,  the  noble  work 
of  the  Christian  Women  of  the  present  day,  is,  with  gratitude 
and  reverence,  affectionately  dedicated. 


Mary  D.  Irvine. 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS 


Page* 

Foreword  _  9 

(Mrs.  W.  C.  Winsborough) 

Introdutory _  11 

PART  I.  THE  OPENING  OF  THE  DOOR  TO  SERVICE. 

Chapter  I.  The  Call  to  Service _  13 

Chapter  II.  Beginnings  of  Woman’s  Service _  15 

In  the  Home — Church  Erection — 
Church  Furnishings — Miscellaneous  Ser¬ 
vice — Church  Membership. 

Chapter  III.  Early  Church  Policy  and  Woman’s 

Response  _  18 

Service  to  the  Indian — to  the  Negro. 

Chapter  IV.  Early  Church  Policy  (Continued) _ 23 

Service  through  Bible  Societies — to 
Education. 

Chapter  A7.  Foreign  Missions  and  the  Woman’s  Move¬ 
ment  _ 26 

Chapter  VI.  The  Women  of  the  Guerrant  Inland  Mis¬ 
sion  _  39 

Chapter  VII.  The  Building  of  the  Auxiliary _ 43 

Chapter  VIII.  The  Builders  of  the  Auxiliary _ 64 

Chapter  IX.  The  Results  of  the  Auxiliary _  75 

Chapter  X.  Missionary  Literature _ 79 

FART  II.  THE  HISTORY  OF  WOMAN’S  WORK  BY 

SYNODS 

Chapter  I.  Alabama  _  85 

(Historian,  Mrs.  Alethea  T.  Cobb) 

Chapter  II.  Appalachia  _ 103 

(Historian,  Mrs.  Gale  Armstrong) 


Page 

Chapter  III.  Arkansas  _ 121 

(Historian,  Mrs.  J.  B.  Nunn) 

Chapter  IV.  Florida  _ 131 

(Historian,,  Mrs.  O.  Z.  Olin,  Miss  Agnes  Davidson) 

Chapter  V.  Georgia  _ 143 

(Historian,  Mrs.  Wm.  Rowland) 

Chapter  VI.  Kentucky  _ 163 

(Historian,  Mrs.  M.  D.  Irvine,  Miss  Alice  Eastwood) 

Chapter  VII.  Louisiana  _ _ _ 191 

(Historian,  Mrs.  W.  B.  Sommerville) 

Chapter  VIII.  Mississippi _ 203 

(Historian,  Mrs.  C.  G.  Everts) 

Chapter  IX.  Missouri  _ 223 

(Historian,  Mrs.  H.  N.  McCain,  Mrs.  J.  R.  Miller) 

Chapter  X.  North  Carolina _ 243 

(Historian,  Mrs.  R.  D.  Blacknall) 

Chapter  XI.  Oklahoma  _ 273 

(Historian,  Mrs.  H.  B.  Sears) 

Chapter  XII.  .South  Carolina _ 283 

(Historian,  Miss  Margaret  Gist) 

Chapter  XIII.  Tennessee  _ 319 

(Historian,  Miss  Mary  Isabelle  Saunders) 

Chapter  XIV.  Texas  _ 337 

(Historian,  Mrs.  S.  R.  Ludlow) 

Chapter  XV.  Virginia  _ 359 

(Historian,  Mrs.  J.  C.  Stuart) 

Chapter  XVI.  West  Virginia _ 383 

(Historian,  Mrs.  Lewis  Stuart) 

Chapter  XVII.  Retrospect _ 395 

Chapter  XVIII.  Appreciation  _ 398 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 


Woman’s  Advisory  Committee,  Montreat,  192 2 -Frontispiece 

The  Montreat  Gate _ 54 

Mrs.  W.  C.  Winsborough _ 65 

Mrs.  D.  A.  McMillan _ 67 

Mrs.  A.  M.  Howison _ 69 

Mrs.  Sarah  Pratt  Lapsley  _  84 

Mrs  T.  H.  McCallie _ 102 

Mrs.  J.  B.  Nunn  _ 120 

Mrs.  W.  IT  Dodge _ , _ 130 

Mrs.  Josiah  Sibley  _ 142 

Mrs.  M.  D.  Irvine _ 162 

Miss  Sophie  B.  Wright _ 190 

Mrs.  Alma  Willis  Sydenstricker _ 202 

Miss  Jennie  Hanna _ 222 

Mrs.  Elizabeth  McRae  _ 242 

Mrs.  B.  F.  Hall _ 260 

Mrs.  W.  J.  B.  Lloyd _ 272 

Mrs.  F.  Louise  Mayes _ i _ 282 

Communion  Tokens,  First  Presbyterian  Church, 

Charleston,  S.  C. _ 288 

Mrs.  Felix  Grundy  _ 318 

Mrs.  J.  C.  Terrell _ 336 

Mrs.  Barbara  Dulnig  _ 349 

Mrs.  J.  W.  Skinner _ 353 

Mrs.  Sarah  M.  Price _ 358 

Mrs.  J.  Calvin  Stewart _ 360 

Mrs.  B.  F.  Mann  _ : _ 382 

Old  Stone  Church,  Lewisburg,  W.  Va _ 384 

Inscription  Over  Doorway,  Old  Stone  Church,  Lewis¬ 
burg,  W.  Va.  _ . _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ,38 5 


FOREWORD 

Rich  indeed  is  the  heritage  of  devotion  and  achievement 
handed  down  to  the  Southern  Presbyterian  woman  of  today 
from  the  pioneer  women  of  the  Church. 

The  tiny  seed  planted  in  1817,  the  Rockfish  Missionary 
Society,  has  in  the  century  succeeding  matured  into  the  sturdy 
Woman’s  Auxiliary  with  its  spreading  branches  reaching  into 
every  department  of  the  Church  work  and  bearing  rich  blossom 
and  fruit.  An  appreciation  of  our  inheritance  has  led  us  to 
seek  to  record  the  early  history  of  the  women  of  the  Church. 

The  one  to  whom  this  difficult  and  important  work  was 
to  be  entrusted  has  especial  fitness  for  the  arduous  task  which 
she  was  officially  asked  to  undertake  in  a  request  from  the 
Woman’s  Advisory  Committee  in  July,  1920. 

Mrs.  Mary  D.  Irvine  has  been  personally  associated  with 
every  advance  step  of  the  work  of  the  women  of  the  Church. 
When  the  movement  for  Presbyterial  organization  was  started  in 
the  80 ’s  she  was  a  co-worker  With  those  pioneers,  and  for 
fifteen  years  was  President  of  Transylvania  Presbyterial. 
Many  years  later  she  was  the  moving  spirit  in  the  organization 
of  the  Kentucky  Synodical  and  its  first  presiding  officer.  She 
was  among  the  first  to  rally  to  the  forces  attempting  to  establish 
the  Woman’s  Auxiliary  and  brought  the  Kentucky  Synodical 
to  the  support  of  the  other  four  Synodicals  at  that  time. 

A  woman  of  keen  insight,  consecrated  tact,  wide  vision  and 
gifted  pen,  she  has  wrought  in  these  pages  a  labor  of  love 
rendered  all  the  more  precious  because  of  great  physical  handi¬ 
caps  which  would  have  made  the  work  impossible  to  a  less 
courageous  and  persevering  soul. 

We  would  also  record  the  invaluable  help  given  to  our  His¬ 
torian.  by  Miss  Alice  Eastwood,  who  hase  served  as  compiler 
and  editor. 

The  women  of  the  Church  are  profoundly  grateful  to 
these  and  to  the  many  others  who  have  made  this  volume 
possible. 

(Mrs.  W.  C.)  Hallie  P.  Winsborough. 


— . — 


— = 


= 


INTRODUCTORY 


To  the  Women  of  the  Southern  Presbyterian  Church,  we 
bring  Greetings. 

To  our  co-workers,  through  whom  the  chief  merits  of 
this  work  is  due,  we  extend  thanks. 

If  to  you,  dear  readers,  its  contents  fail  to  measure  up 
to  your  expectations,  be  it  remembered,  we  cannot  make  bricks 
without  straw,  neither  can  we  achieve  the  impossible,  that^  of 
compressing  many  volumes  into  one.  Want  of  early  data  is 
the  missing  straw,  and  overmuch  of  later  data  has,  to  our 
great  regret,  had  to  yield  to  certain  rules  of  elimination,  con¬ 
trolled  by  the  scope  of  the  work. 

Misconceptions,  misunderstandings,  lost  records  or  no 
records,  difficulty  in  finding  legitimate  avenues  of  access — all 
of  this  has  caused  an  unavoidable  delay.  After  exhaustive 
efforts  on  the  part  of  many,  we,  at  last,  present  to  you  our  labor 
of  love.  Every  narrative  has  led  us  along  the  upward  path  of 
progress,  but  this  has  not  been  our  highest  joy.  As  has  been 
said:  “It’s  not  in  the  fruits  of  progress  we  find  the  soul  of 
history”  but,  to  have  been  brought  face  to  face  with  the  men 
and  women  who  have  carved  its  path,  to  have  walked  with 
them  along  its  upward  steeps,  catching,  as  we  marched,  the 
soul  sparks  from  their  sacrificial  service,  means  a  baptism  of 
fire,  a  higher  incentive  to  obedience  and  a  deeper  humiliation 
of  spirit.  Should  it  mean  as  much  to  our  readers,  then  have 
our  efforts  wrought  their  legitimate  purpose  and  love’s  labor 
has  not  been  in  vain. 


CHAPTER  I. 

The  Call  to  Service 

History,  in  the  making,  is  unconscious  of  itself.  While 
the  issue  is  on,  the  chief  concern  is  with  its  outcome,  leaving 
the  future  to  reveal,  in  proportionate  outline,  its  true  perspective 
and  color,  which  ofttimes  looms  up  dim  and  unreal  because 
of  its  remoteness.  Such  was  our  fear,  when  first  we  began 
the  search  to  discover,  if  we  might,  the  early  traditions  and  musty 
records  of  the  early  movements  of  the  Presbyterian  women  o± 
the  Southland.  But,  in  the  spirit  of  the  old  Galloway  stone¬ 
cutter  of  the  Kirk  of  Scotland,  in  behalf  of  the  martyred  Came- 
ronians,  we  went  promptly  to  work  to  restore  lost  land-marks, 
to  lift  fallen  stones  and  deepen  time-worn  epitaphs.  In  this 
quest,  we  have  encountered  various  experiences  which  have 
either  chilled  or  thrilled  at  unexpected  finds.  Wherein  we 
have  failed  to  find  gives  us  no  brief  against  the  Southern 
woman. 

The  age  of  materialism  had  not  released  its  hold  upon 
our  young  Republic,  when  came  the  iron  days  of  the  sixties, 
with  their  grim  struggle,  followed  by  the  period  of  reconstruc¬ 
tion,  which  so  engulfed  us,  that  only  the  voice  of  the  burning 
bush  could  have  rescued  us  from  blank  despair  and  filled  us 
with  the  hope  of  readjustment. 

So,  while  our  New  England  sisters*  were  marking  historic 
spots  and  casting  into  literary  mold,  their  deeds  of  the  past,  we 
were  in  a  struggle  for  existence  and  for  rehabilitation,  thus  re¬ 
making  instead  of  marking  history.  Well  nigh  six  decades 
have  passed  since  then,  and  time  was  ripe  indeed,  when  our 
General  Superintendent  summoned  us  back  into  the  hinterland 
to  gather  up  the  broken  fragments  of  a  priceless  past. 

The  scope  of  our  story  is  coincident  with  our  country’s 
history,  and  covers  the  most  transitional  period  of  world  history. 

Nowhere  is  this  more  strikingly  shown  than  in  the  changed 
position  of  woman,  standing  as  she  does  today,  with  the 


14 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


shackles  of  prejudice  lying  broken  at  her  feet,  and  clothed  with 
all  the  prerogatives  that  go  to  dignify  her  sex. 

To  her  present  position  in  the  Kingdom,  the  truth  of  his¬ 
tory  must  place  upon  her  brow  the  glory  of  self -achievement 
and  that,  not  by  militant  force,  but  by  the  magic  of  a  super¬ 
intending  Providence.  The  Church  of  the  Twentieth  Century, 
with  its  new  accessions  of  strength,  through  the  unbound  hand 
of  woman,  and  its  new  opportunity  of  service,  through  the 
unlocked  door  of  the  Orient,  offers  monumental  proof  that 
God’s  purpose  can  neither  be  defeated  nor  deflected  by  human 
agency.  Men  had  battered  long  at  the  iron  bars  of  harem  and 
zenana  doors,  when  lo!  they  yielded  at  the  touch  of  a  cambric 
needle  in  the  hands  of  a  woman.* 

Thence  came  the  divine  urge  of  a  great  call  from  the  Ori¬ 
ental  to  the  Occidental,  which  in  its  efforts  to  liberate  the 
Oriental  woman,  proved  the  unbinding  of  the  strong  left  arm 
of  the  church  at  home.  It  was  the  call  of  woman  to  woman. 

The  history  of  the  Presbyterian  woman  in  America  has 
an  international  background  and  a  world-wide  vision.  When, 
in  1749,  Jonathan  Edwards,  because  of  the  awful  spiritual 
corruption  of  the  times,  issued  his  clarion  call  for  a  visible 
union  of  prayer,  it  was  not  only  heard  at  home,  but  it  was  our 
own  kindred  blood  in  England,  Scotland,  Wales,  North  Ireland 
and  Southern  Europe,  who  knelt  with  us  in  intercessory  bands 
pleading  for  a  lost  world.  Out  of  this  grew  the  “Monthly 
Concert  of  Prayer” J  which,  in  1784,  became  an  established  in¬ 
stitution  of  the  church,  lighting  with  its  pentecostal  fires,  the 
highway  of  the  King  of  Kings,  in  His  onward  march  for  the 
conquest  of  the  world,  f 

*It  is  a  well  known,  story  how  the  trivial  wish  of  a  heathen  woman  to 
learn  how  to  embroider  a  pair  of  slippers  for  her  Hindoo  lord,  was  used  as 
the  opening  wedge  of  entrance  to  zenanas.  (See  Life  of  Mrs.  Hannah 
Mullins.) 

tAssembly’s  Digest,  Baird’s  Collection,  page  206,  1815. 

JMonthly  Concerts.  “The  King  and  the  Head  of  the  Church  has  during  the 
last  year,  poured  out  His  Spirit  in  a  remarkable  and  glorious  manner.  .  . 

Whereas,  many  Christians  in  Asia,  Africa  and  Europe  have  agreed  to  set  apart 
the  first  Monday  evening  in  every  month,  that  they  may  meet  together  and  say, 
with  the  heart,  ‘Thy  kingdom  come’—.  .  .  be  it  resolved  that  the  monthly 
concert  be  observe-d  hereafter  and  that  collections  be  taken  up  at  the  close 
of  every  concert  in  aid  of  the  foreign  operations  of  our  Church.” 


BEGINNINGS  OF  WOMAN’S  SERVICE  15 

CHAPTER  II. 

Beginnings  of  Woman’s  Service 

In  the  Christian  Home . 

The  Presbyterian  home  of  primitive  days,  in  this  new 
country,  safely  entrenched  as  it  may  have  been  by  fort  or 
stockade,  had  for  its  strongest  bulwark  of  defense  and  its 
greatest  source  of  influence,  the  Bible  and  Catechism  in  the 
hands  of  the  mother.  Significant  was  the  fire-side  scene  of 
children  gathered  at  her  knee  in  Scriptural  drill,  and  prophetic 
beyond  the  ken  of  man  to  conceive,  was  the  spiritual  impress 
thus  made  upon  coming  generations  who  were  either  to  bear 
aloft  the  banner  of  the  King  or  to  trail  it  in  the  dust. 

Outside  the  Home — Church  Erection. 

We  next  enroll  her  with  our  brawny  muscled  forefathers, 
as  they  plan  for  the  erection  of  the  first  shelter  for  public 
worship  in  the  primeval  forest.  We  find  her  with  them, 
helping  to  choose  the  spot,  and  when  comes  that  notable  “log¬ 
raising  day”  she  is  there  again,  as  Indian  sentinel,  or  possibly 
as  “hewer  of  wood  and  drawer  of  water,”  but  surely  there,  as 
high  priestess  at  the  noon-day  hour,  stimulating  the  inner  and 
outer  man  as  he  lends  himself  to  the  worthy  task. 

It  is  an  interesting  story  that,  of  how  women  and  boys 
carried  on  horseback,  bags  of  sand  for  chinking  the  old  his¬ 
toric  church  at  Lewisburg,  West  Virginia.*  (See  West  Vir¬ 
ginia  Synodical  Sketch). 

*From  Davidson’s  History  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  Kentucky, 
page  35.  It  is  interesting  to  trace  the  steps  of  these  hardy  pioneers  in  their 
zeal  to  secure  the  decent  maintenance  of  religious  ordinances.  .  .  .They 
distributed  themselves  into  companies,  one  to  quarry  and  haul  the  stone, 
another  to  furnish  the  lime  and  sand,  which  had  to  be  conveyed  in  sacks 
from  a  distance,  over  bad  roads  and  this  duty  was  undertaken  by  the 
women.  .  .  . 

Money  was  then  a  scarce  article,  and  deerskins,  furs  and  butter  were 
used  for  barter. 

From  a  description  of  First  Church  in  Lebanon,  Kentucky,  1789,  we 
get  a  general  picture  of  those  early  “meeting  houses.”  It  was  a  log  building, 
made  of  unhewed  logs  and  was  sixteen  feet  square  and  five  longs  high,  covered 
with  rough  board.  It  was  not  chinked  nor  daubed,  and  had  no  windows 
except  the  cracks  between  the  logs — no  floor,  but  the  earth  which  was  car- 


16 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


It  seems  that  church  sessions  did  not  concern  themselves 
with  deeds  of  women  save  when  she  needed  discipline  and 
some  very  laughable  records  of  this  occur.  Recently,  we  have 
seen,  in  an  old  Kentucky  Session  book,  where  in  1823  a  wife 
was  tried  for  “harsh  and  imprudent  conduct”  towards  her 
husband!  Another  woman  for  intoxication.  In  1832  another 
claimed  to  have  spun  six  cuts  of  thread  and  afterwards  ad¬ 
mitted  it  was  only  five  and  a  half.  Suspension  or  expulsion 
was  the  common  penalty  and  both  black  and  white  were  pun¬ 
ished.  (See  New  Providence  and  Paris  churches.  Kentucky 
Sketch). 

Church  Furnishings. 

Whether  the  heating,  lighting  and  minor  furnishings  of 
the  church  is  our  heritage,  because  of  our  fitness  in  device  and 
resource,  or  whether  we  have  been  forced  thus  to  meet  such 
necessities,  truth  to  say,  the  Brethren  have  always  generously 
allowed  us  full  part  as  our  Aid  Society  records  show. 

So  from  land  grant  on  which  to  build,  to  the  song  book 
in  the  pew,  women  claim  now,  as  ever  in  the  past,  full  repre¬ 
sentation  in  church  erection  and  furnishings. 


Miscellaneous  Services. 

Individually  and  collectively,  we  read  of  mortgages  lifted, 
mission  points  established  through  Sunday  School  Extension 
work  by  women;  yea,  Sunday  Schools  maintained,  churches  built, 
old  debts  resolutely  met,  rather  than  church  doors  be  closed; 
women  on  Diaconate  boards;  literature  sent  over  the  Presbytery 
(Practical  Presbyterial  Union,  100  years  ago),  and — as  runs 
the  record — “Aid  Society  doing  whatever  is  left  undone.”  For 
fin  exaggerated  instance  of  this,  we  cite  from  Texas  Synodical 

peted  with  leaves.  A  few  stumps  and  logs  served  for  seats.  It  was  warmed 
by  a  huge  log  fire,  heaped  at  the  front  of  the  door.  In  1795  this  first  building 
was  replaced  by  another  of  much  the  same  type,  but  larger,  to  accommodate 
its  growing  congregation.  This  was  twenty-eight  feet  long  and  twenty 
feet  wide,  was  partly  chinked  but  not  daubed;  had  a  loose  plank  floor,  some 
rough  frame  benches  and  one  small  window  oveb  the  pulpit  that  the  preacher 
might  see  to  read  the  Scriptures. 


BEGINNINGS  OE  WOMAN’S  SERVICE 


17 


Sketch,  where  five  women  gave  land,  built  a  house  of  worship, 
organized  a  Sunday-school,  and  then  surrendered  all  to  the 
ecclesiastical  control  of  an  organized  church,  free  of  charge. 

Church  Membership. 

Old  minutes  startle  us  with  the  preponderance  of  women’s 
names  enrolled  as  charter  members.  Augusta,  Ga.,  1807,  thir¬ 
teen  members,  ten  of  them  women.  First  .Church,  Louisville. 
1816,  seventeen  members,  eleven  of  them  women;  Richmond. 
Ky.,  sixteen  members,  twelve  women;  Fulton,  Mo.,  1836,  sev¬ 
enteen  women,  five  men;  Little  Rock,  Ark.,  1828,  five  women, 
two  men;  Greensboro,  N.  C.,  1824,  sixteen  members,  three  men, 
nine  women,  six  white,  three  black;  Nashville,  First  Church, 
1824,  seven  members,  one  man,  six  women.  Like  records  can 
be  cited  from  every  State  showing  the  same  old  story  of  women 
first  proclaiming  the  messoge  of  the  Risen  Saviour. 


18 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


CHAPTER  III. 

Early  Church  Policy  and  Woman's  Response. 

On  page  312,  Assembly’s  Digest,  is  outlined  for  us  in  the 
year  1800,  the  four  objectives  of  the  Presbyterian  Church: 
“A.  Gospelizing  of  the  Indians.  B.  Instruction  of  the  Negroes 
and  the  poor.  C.  Purchasing  and  disposing  of  Bibles  and  also 
books.  D.  Provision  of  funds  for  the  more  complete  instruc¬ 
tion  of  the  candidates  for  the  Gospel  ministry.”  From  the 
same  source,  page  319,  is  shown  the  recognition  of  woman  as 
an  integral  part  in  this  church  scheme.  “It  is  among  the  dis¬ 
tinguished  glories  of  the  commencement  of  the  Nineteenth 
Century,  that  pious  females  are  more  extensively  associated  and 
more  actively  useful  in  promoting  evangelical  and  benevolent 
objects  than  in  any  former  period  of  the  world.” 

Again,  from  page  206,  Assembly’s  Digest:  “1816.  Female 
Fraying  Societies.  Several  conversions  to  God  in  individual 
cases  and  several  revivals  of  religion  in  societies  may  be  traced 
to  these  seasons  of  social  prayer.”  .  .  .  “In  many  places, 

devout  and  pious  females  have  formed  themselves  into  praying 
societies  .  .  .  May  their  number  increase.” 

Here  we  find  the  church  invoking  the  help  of  “those  women 
who  publish  good  tidings”  and  we  also  find  those  women  in¬ 
voking  the  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 

Section  I — Service  to  the  Indians. 

From  the  days  of  Azariah  Horton,  1841,  of  Daniel  Brain- 
ard,  and  Jonathan  Edwards,  until  the  present,  we  find  the  Pres¬ 
byterian  Church  bearing  a  noble  part  in  the  salvation  of  the 
Indian.  It  is  the  oldest  mission  work  of  our  church. 

In  1801,  the  General  x4ssembly  was  lamenting  because  of 
“no  one  to  send”  yet  in  their  hands  reposed  “a  sum  contributed 
by  many”  to  the  Indian  fund. 


EARLY  CHURCH  POLICY 


19 


In  1803  we  find  the  Blackburns  in  Tennessee  among  the 
Cherokees,  succeeded  by  the  Kingsburys  among  the  Choctaws. 
Hotchkins,  Byingtons,  the  Wrights  and  Samuel  Worcester, 
whose  wife  and  children  suffered  untold  hardships  while  he 
languished  in  the  Milledgeville  penitentiary  sentenced  for  four 
years  by  a  Georgia  judge  (released  in  eighteen  months).  The 
wives  of  all  these  pioneer  missionaries,  ’mid  the  savage  wilds  of 
our  country,  were  heroines  of  the  truest  courage. 

Of  the  ‘‘Trail  of  Tears”  in  that  migration  of  1832-1836. 
from  East  of  the  Mississippi  to  Indian  territory,  in  all  of  its 
sickening  details  of  horror,  women  bore  their  part.  With  only 
a  shadowy  gleam  of  the  sufferings  they  endured,  we  stand  with 
uncovered  heads  in  the  presence  of  the  blood  which  laid  the 
foundations  of  our  church  in  the  far  West.  (See  Mission  to 
the  Indians,  in  the  Oklahoma  Sketch.) 

Section  II — Service  to  the  Negro. 

Quoting  from  Assembly’s  Digest,  page  107:  “ Case  of 

Conscience.  Synod  of  New  York.  1786.  Whether  Christian 
masters  or  mistresses  ought,  in  duty,  to  have  such  children  bap¬ 
tized  as  are  under  their  care,  though  born  of  parents  not  in 
the  communion  of  any  Christian  church. 

“Synod  is  of  opinion  that  such  masters  and  mistresses 
whose  religious  professions  and  conduct  are  such  as  give  them  a 
Gght  to  the  ordinance  of-  baptism  for  their  own  children,  may 
and  ought  to  dedicate  the  children  of  their  own  household  to 
God  in  that  ordinance.” 

The  above  is  quoted  to  show  the  attitude  of  the  Christian 
slaveholder.  Since  this  is  history  and  not  theory,  we  are  re¬ 
cording,  we  assert,  on  the  truth  of  God’s  promise,  the  fact 
that  a  spiritual  heritage  from  pious  slaveholders,  blessed  many 
negro  families.  Maria  Fearing,  Lillian  Thomas,  Lucy  Shep¬ 
pard  and  many  others  of  the  race  are  heirs  of  a  religious  in¬ 
fluence  of  a  former  generation  of  whites.  But  because  God 


20 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


used  the  system  for  the  salvation  of  souls,  this  is  not  meant 
as  its  vindication. 

The  Southern  woman  felt  deeply  her  obligation  to  the 
negro  in  her  home.  How  this  obligation  was  met  can  best 
be  told  by  one  of  his  own  race,  thirty-five  years  after  freedom. 
The  place  was  Carnegie  Hall,  in  New  York  City,  in  1900; 
the  occasion,  the  great  Ecumenical  Council,  where  were  met 
missionaries  from  all  over  the  world;  the  speaker  was  George 
S.  Norris,  a  returned  Baptist  Missionary,  who  stirred  the  house 
from  base  to  dome  with  words  like  these:  “Of  all  the  mis¬ 
sionary  work  ever  done  in  this  old  world,  the  greatest,  most 
rapid,  effective  and  economic  was  that  accomplished  by  the 
masters  and  mistresses  of  the  .South  in  behalf  of  the  negro.” 
And  all  through  the  South  did  he  proclaim  this  message  to 
his  own  people  the  following  summer,  meeting  with  applause 
everywhere.  Akin  to  Norris’  statement  was  that  made  to  the 
writer,  years  ago,  by  our  own  Wm.  .Sheppard,  colored,  whose 
wish  was  that  he  might  visit  all  the  churches  of  his  race  with 
the  message  that  their  best  friend  was  the  Christian  white  man. 

That  the  attitude  of  owner  and  bondsmen  brought  out  the 
best  and  worst  in  human  nature  is  well  understood  by  those 
who  knew  slavery.  We  believe  that  the  generalship  of  the 
Southern  woman  of  ante-bellum  days,  as  was  shown  throughout 
our  Civil  War,  was  largely  due  to  the  demands  which  had  been 
made  upon  her  as  manager  and  mobilizer  of  the  negro  fami¬ 
lies  for  whom  she  had  been  responsible. 

It  was  she,  who  had  first  to  assume  the  reins  of  govern¬ 
ment,  being  their  guardian,  guide  and  counselor  from  birth. 
Such  responsibility  put  a  fibre  into  her  nature,  which,  as  a 
Christian  mistress,  enabled  her  by  practice  to  preach  such  ser¬ 
mons  as  they  seldom  get  today. 

On  the  other  hand,  we  must  pay  tribute  where  tribute  is 
due,  to  the  “Ole  Black  Mammy”  who  sometimes  supplemented 
the  neglect  of  the  white  mother,  by  being  the  first  to  teach  the 


EARLY  CHURCH  POLICY 


21 


little  lips  to  lisp  a  prayer  or  to  tell  of  how  Jesus  took  the  little 
children  in  His  arms  and  blessed  them. 

The  real  relationship  of  the  two  races  is  only  understood 
by  those  who  lived  under  the  system  and  not  even  can  this 
generation  of  the  Southland  fully  understand. 

Lest  the  situation  be  relegated  to  a  maudlin  sympathy,  oft- 
times  told  in  fiction,  without  foundation  and  since  these  pages 
are  supposed  to  portray  the  slave-holding  Christian  mistress  as 
she  was,  we  can  best  narrate  some  very  real  facts  pertaining 
to  that  day,  and  which  obtained,  more  or  less,  in  every  South¬ 
ern  State. 

It  was  at  a  Southern  Synod,  about  1900,  when  a  jeport 
was  offered  by  the  Assembly’s  Secretary  of  colored  work,  a 
young  man,  in  which  he  referred  to  the  upward  progress  of  the 
negro  from  his  former  condition,  which  was  that  of  “goods 
and  chattels.”  -After  motion  for  its  adoption,  one  of  the  older 
ministers  rose  to  protest  against  this  phrase  in  a  Southern 
Church  body.  “Goods  and  chattels?”  Yes:  in  a  legal  sense 
they  were,  but  his  mind  went  back  to  his  early  childhood  on 
a  Southern  plantation,  on  Sabbath  afternoons,  when,  as  a  child . 
he  was  wont  to  accompany  his  parents  or,  as  he  grew  older, 
had  sometimes  to  go  alone,  but  somebody  had  to  go  across  the 
fields  to  the  chapel  built  for  negro  worship,  where  they  met 
the  negroes  from  three  plantations  and  led  them  in  a  service 
of  song  and  prayer;  either  leading  off  in  scripture  reading  and 
exposition  thereof,  or  reading  to  them  out  of  a  book  well  known 
as  “Plantation  Sermons”  and  then  teaching  catechism  questions 
known  as  “Jones’  Catechism,”  especially  prepared  for  their  use. 
(Chapels  for  the  negro  were  scattered  all  over  the  South). 

With  a  memory  like  this  embalmed  in  his  heart  of  hearts, 
this  son  of  the  South  could  not  consent  to  see  the  phrase  “goods 
and  chattels”  incorporated  in  a  report  in  our  Southern  Presby¬ 
terian  Church  records.  Needless  to  say,  these  words  were  ex¬ 
punged  from  the  report.  That  the  negroes  were  never  generally 


22 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


regarded  as  such,  we  cite  the  old  Southern  churches  with  their 
spacious  galleries  provided  for  negro  worship,  and  be  it  known 
that  at  the  time  of  freedom,  one-half  of  them  were  church  com¬ 
municants,  thirty-five  thousand  of  them  Presbyterian. 


EARLY  CHURCH  POLICY 


23 


CHAPTER  IV. 

Early  Church  and  Woman’s  Response 

Section  III — Service  in  Bible  Societies. 

The  importation  of  the  Bible  into  the  country  has  an  in 
teresting  civic  background. 

England  had  retained  the  right  of  Bible  publication  within 
her  own  borders.  Calvinists  had  renounced  all  other  authority 
save  the  Word  of  God,  and  Bibles  they  must  have  in  America. 
Twenty  thousand  copies  were  ordered  by  Congress  in  1777. 
But  five  years  later  we  find  the  following  record: 

In  1782  the  first  English  Bible  ever  printed,  in  the  United 
States,  that  printed  by  Robert  Aitken,  of  Philadelphia,  was  put 
out  under  the  auspices  of  Congress  by  the  passage  of  the  follow¬ 
ing  resolution:  ‘‘Resolved,  that  the  United  States  in  Congress 
assembled  .  .  .  recommend  this  edition  of  the  Bible  to  the 

inhabitants  of  the  United  States.  (Signed)  Charles  Thomson. 
Secretary.” 

What  I  would  call  attention  to  is  the  fact  that  the  founders 
of  our  Republic  took  this  step  twenty-two  years  before  the  first 
Bible  Society  in  all  the  world  was  organized.  Out  of  the  first 
Society,  British  and  Foreign,  1804,  sprang  all  Bible  societies, 
including  the  first  American  in  Philadelphia,  in  1808,  quickly 
followed  by  other  States,  culminating  in  our  national  chartered 
society  in  1816,  with  thirty-one  affiliating  institutions. 

Female  Bible  Societies  were  contemporary  with  the  move¬ 
ments  of  the  church  itself,  and  their  rapid  rise  and  spread  are 
obvious  from  dates  we  have  found  within  and  without  our 
Church  history.  Sources  of  appeal  for  Bibles  were  manv,  “in 
view  of  vast  multitudes  of  families  in  our  own  country  desti¬ 
tute  of  the  Book,  the  vast  number  of  immigrants,  laborers,  boat¬ 
men,  seamen  and  the  wide  opening  fields  of  Pagan,  Mohamme¬ 
dan  and  Papal  lands.”  (Assembly’s  Digest,  page  416.) 


24 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


Then  upon  the  ears  of  the  women  fell  stories  like  these. 
Samuel  J.  Mills,  after  extensive  journeys  in  1812  and  1813, 
had  to  report  that  among  early  settlers  and  pioneers,  he  had 
found  wide-spread  Bible  destitution.  The  British  and  Foreign 
Society  had  made  a  grant  of  $1,000.00  to  our  American  Society 
for  the  printing  and  distribution  of  Bibles. 

Soldiers  of  1812  were  in  need.  The  Governor  of  Louisiana, 
in  1812,  had  no  Bible  on  which  to  take  oath  of  office  until, 
after  a  long  hunt,  a  Latin  Vulgate  was  furnished  by  a  priest. 
Seventy-eight  thousand  families  were  destitute,  and  Mills  found 
one  man  in  Illinois  who  had  been  trying  for  ten  years  to  buy  a 
copy  of  the  Scriptures. 

Contemporary  with  the  Domestic  need  came  that  of  Carey. 
Morrison,  Judson,  Gutzlaaf  and  others,  that  we  “hold  the  ropes” 
whilst  they  go  down  into  heathen  depths,  where  Bible  transla¬ 
tion  must  precede  missions. 

So,  while  Boards  were  financing  Bible  translation  which 
was  the  only  gateway  through  which  the  throbbing  spirit  of 
“Modern  Missions”  could  find  release,  there  we  find  women 
standing  ready  to  “carry  on”  as  these  early  Bible  Societies  attest. 

The  demand  grew  from  within  and  without.  After  all,  it 
was  not  a  far  cry  from  that  of  the  Welsh  lassie,  Mary  Jones, 
whose  heart-hunger  for  a  Bible  of  her  very  own  in  1804,  origi¬ 
nated  the  first  Bible  Society  in  England,  to  the  “Mary  Jones  of 
America,”  whose  heart-hungering  doubtless  prompted  those 
“Earley  Female  Bible  Societies.” 

Section  IV — Service  to  Education. 

Assembly’s  Digest,  Baird’s  Collections.  Revised,  page  183. 
“ Female  Benevolent  Societies ,  1815.  Resolved:  That  the  As¬ 
sembly  have  heard  with  lively  pleasure  of  the  exertions  of  pious 
and  benevolent  females  in  some  portions  of  our  Church,  to 
raise  funds  for  the  indigent  students  in  our  Theological  Semi¬ 
nary.  By  these  seasonable  exertions,  many  promising  youths 


EARLY  CHURCH  POLICY 


25 


have  been  supported  who,  otherwise,  could  not  have  had  access 
to  this  institution.  .  .  .  more  needed  .  .  .  Assembly 
hopes  that  this  fact  will  increase  the  number  of  female  asso¬ 
ciations  .  .  .  money  so  raised  to  be  applied  by  the  asso¬ 
ciations  themselves  to  such  students  as  they  may  think  proper; 
or  it  may,  which  has  usually  been  done,  be  transmitted  to  the 
Professors,  to  be  appropriated  at  their  discretion.” 

(Note  the  distinction  between  Female  Bible  and  Female 
Benevolent  Societies). 

It  is  with  dignified  pride  that  we  submit  this  record  which 
shows  the  ready  response  of  our  pioneer  grandmothers  to  the 
call  of  the  Church. 

* 

Our  readers  will  see  in  the  Synodical  Sketches,  how  ancient 
precedent  has  been  followed  by  succeeding  generations,  and  it 
comes  as  blood  calling  to  blood — the  pledge  across  a  century, 
of  fealty  to  a  common  cause,  none  nobler  than  that  of  life  en¬ 
listment.  “Support  of  Candidates”  holds  a  much  broader  sig¬ 
nificance  today  in  the  term  “Christian  Education.” 

Early  records  show,  however,  that  women  of  that  day 
focussed  their  efforts  in  behalf  of  struggling  youth  of  the  Church. 
Our  Synodical  Sketches,  as  also  the  biographies  of  ministers 
and  missionaries,  testify  to  the  continuous  ministry  of  women 
in  behalf  of  their  equipment  for  life  service.  See  one  inter¬ 
esting  case,  that  of  Joseph  Neesima,  as  found  in  Kentucky’s 
Sketch. 


26 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


CHAPTER  V. 


Foreign  Missions  and  the  Woman’s  Movement. 

Until  little  more  than  a  century  ago,  missionary  vision 
was  confined  to  the  Home  fields.  The  signal  calls  were  heard 
only  by  individuals  and  sublime  was  the  faith  of  those  who 
answered — the  faith  of  a  Mary  Lyons  to  “Go  where  no  one 
else  would  go  and  do  what  no  once  else  would  do,”  of  a  Fidelia 
Fiske,  of  the  Judsons,  the  Marsdens,  the  Agnews,  the  Kings - 
burys,  the  Wrights  and  of  a  Malinda  Rankin,  who  said,  “If 
no  one  else  will  go,  I  will.”  Such  was  the  faith  of  those  who 
went  down  when  there  were  few  to  hold  the  ropes. 

As  we  have  been  searching  for  traditions  and  records 
of  the  history  of  Presbyterian  women,  we  have  learned  that 
her  response  was  coincident  with  the  call  abroad.  For  proof 
of  this,  watch  for  the  lights  as  they  glint  through  the  pioneer 
history  of  the  different  States. 

The  writer,  having  long  known  that  her  paternal  grand¬ 
mother  of  Big  Spring  Church,  Kentucky  (who  died  in  1846) 
was,  by  payment  of  twenty  dollars,  a  “Life  Member”  of  some 
Foreign  Board,  instituted  search  to  ascertain  and  to  incorporate 
in  this  history  the  extent  of  this  plan  of  giving.  After  ex¬ 
haustive  efforts,  the  inquiry  seemed  hopeless,  when  recently  a 
letter  from  the  Missionary  Research  Bureau  of  New  York 
brought  much  valuable  information.  From  it  was  learned  that 
a  long  list  of  Presbyterian  women  were  life  members  of  either 
Home  or  Foreign  Missionary  Societies  or  of  both  in  the  second 
quarter  of  the  Nineteenth  Century.  The  names  were  pub¬ 
lished  in  the  Foreign  Missionary  Chronicle,  which  was  the 
organ  of  the  Western  Foreign  Missionary  Society  and  this  in 
turn  was  the  forerunner  of  the  Foreign  Mission  Board  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church,  organized  in  1832. 

At  this  time,  there  were  five  large  Societies  in  existence, 
all  with  many  women  members. 


FOREIGN  MISSIONS 


27 


1837.  Thirteenth  Annual  Report  of  Sunday  School  Union 
showed  women  life  members,  167. 

1838.  Twenty-second  report  of  American  Bible  Society, 
showed  women  life  members,  513. 

1845.  Seventeenth  Annual  Report  of  American  Seamen 
Friends  Society,  women  life  members,  288. 

1845.  Eighth  Annual  Report  American  and  Foreign  Bi¬ 
ble  Society,  women  life  members,  250. 

In  one  place,  the  heading  runs  that  life  membership  was 
obtained  “by  the  contribution  of  $30.00  and  upwards;  for 
females,  $20.00  and  upwards.”  (See  Kentucky  History.) 

From  this  record  is  gathered  that  Presbyterian  women 
have  kept  pace  with  every  current  missionary  enterprise,  and 
the  above  information  supplies  the  missing  link  between  the 
“Female  Bible  Society”  of  the  first  quarter  of  the  Nineteenth 
Century  and  the  Woman’s  Missionary  Society  of  the  third 
quarter. 

The  history  of  the  Woman’s  Movement  and  of  Foreign 
Missions  is  so  interdependent  that  they  must  be  considered  to¬ 
gether.  Because  of  ignorance  of  geographical  and  living  con¬ 
ditions  in  heathen  lands,  because  of  poor  transportation  facili¬ 
ties,  and  the  lack  of  funds,  women  were  slow  to  enter  the 
foreign  field.* 

But  as  world  conditions  unfolded  a  restlessness  ensued, 
because  of  the  handicaps  of  a  false  sentiment,  universally  pre¬ 
vailing  regarding  woman’s  position.  It  was  in  the  seventies 
the  awakening  came  to  wider  opportunities  abroad,  and  by  the 
early  eighties,  two  corresponding  movements  were  distinctly 
felt,  viz. :  the  groundswell  of  the  foreign  appeal,  and  the  quick¬ 
ening  of  women’s  missionary  activities  in  the  church  at  home. 

*It  is  not  generally  known  that  Mrs.  Inslee,  wife  of  our  pioneer  mis¬ 
sionary  to  China,  1S67,  died  of  the  effects  of  the  rough  sailing  voyage. 
Ignorance  of  living  conditions  was  shown  in  the  following  Kentucky  incident. 
When  the  Barnes-Forman  party  were  sailing  for  India,  in  1847,  they  were 
presented  with  silver  and  linen  as  farewell  gifts.  These  were  returned 
unboxed.  This  is  to  us,  as  it  was  to  them  a  grim  joke,  when  we  know  that 
these  brave  people  passed  through  the  Sepoy  Rebellion,  enduring  its  horrors 
and  often  having  to  flee  from  their  homes. 


28 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


In  “Gospel  In  All  Lands,”  by  Rev.  Clark,  D.  D.,  (1880), 
after  enumerating  the  outlines  of  missionary  progress,  such 
as  geography,  literature  and  language,  he  states:  “It  re¬ 

mains  to  notice  one  other  remarkable  characteristic  of  mis¬ 
sionary  work  of  our  times  which  was  needed  to  complete  the 
victory — Woman’s  Work  for  Woman.  .  .  Something  has 

been  done  by  individual  missionary  ladies  but  Women’s  Boards 
and  Organizations,  whose  sudden  rise  and  growth  and  suc¬ 
cess  are  in  singular  correspondence  to  the  calls  abroad,  con¬ 
stitute  one  of  the  characteristic  features  of  the  Church  history 
of  our  time.” 

What  an  anachronism!  That  Woman’s  Work  for  Woman 
should  have  been  reserved  as  among  God’s  last  agencies.  “One 
of  the  characteristic  features  ...  of  our  times  ” — 1880)  ! 

And  it  was  a  woman  who  had  been  commissioned  and  had 
fled  with  such  willing  feet  from  the  Garden  on  the  Resurrection 
morn,  to  bear  glad  tidings  of  a  Risen  Saviour! 

Prejudice  against  woman’s  organized  work  came  first  from 
the  great  primal  causes,  the  virus  of  whose  poison  coming  down 
from  pagan,  papal  and  Mohammedan  systems,  had  not  only 
held  her  in  a  subordinate  position,  but  had,  unconsciously, 
warped  Scriptural  interpretations  regarding  heiv 

In  all  churches  “un scriptural”  had  been  written  over  the 
door  which  barred  not  only  the  liberities  of  women,  but  of  the 
laity  the  youth  and  the  children  of  the  church. 

The  attitude  of  our  own  church  toward  the  youth  as  late 
as  1892  is  shown  by  the  following:  “In  activities  which 
are  constituted  of  both  young  men  and  young  women  care  is 
to  be  taken  that  the  limitations  laid  down  in  Scriptures  be  not 
transgressed  .  .  .  it  is  not  proper  for  girls  and  young 

women  to  preside  over  a  meeting  of  a  society,  or  to  make  an 
address  or  to  lead  in  prayer.”  (See  Alexander’s  Digest,  1892, 
page  108). 

In  regard  to  children  Christ’s  own  words,  “Suffer  little 


FOREIGN  MISSIONS 


29 


children  to  come  unto  Me  and  forbid  them  not,”  failed  of  their 
real  import  until  a  half  century  ago,  because  they  were  not 
coupled  with  that  other  Scripture — “With  the  heart  man  be- 
lieveth  unto  righteousness”  and  “There  is  none  that  under- 
standeth”  (Romans  10:10),  which,  being  at  last  rightly  in¬ 
terpreted  opened  the  door  of  the  Church  to  our  children. 

Today  three-fifths  of  our  church  membership  is  composed 
of  those  received  under  fifteen  years  of  age — a  sweeping  vindi¬ 
cation  of  the  propriety  of  receiving  children  into  the  Com¬ 
munion.  The  old  interpretation  of  “Eateth  and  drinketh  un¬ 
worthily”  limited  the  Communion  table  to  the  exclusion  of 
the  young  and  timid,  said  Dr.  T.  R.  Cleland,  of  Kentucky 
who  in  1823  abandoned  the  use  of  tokens.* 

Changing  interpretations  have  been  a  matter  of  slow 
growth  and  go  to  show  that  any  belief  or  system  of  doctrine 
must  have  for  fundation  not  a  part  but  the  whole  Word  of 
God.  Take  for  instance  John  3:36.  “He  that  hath  the  Son 
hath  life,”  our  precious  doctrine  of  Christian  Assurance  today, 
the  claim  of  which  even  fifty  years  ago,  was  counted  as  “unholy 
presumption.” 

But  there  were  some  strange  inconsistencies  in  those  former 
days.  By  some  quirk  of  the  brain,  we  have  known  Church  Ses¬ 
sions  to  employ  women  as  Sunday-school  teachers  for  Men’s 
Bible  Classes,  and  even  to  send  them  out  on  Sunday  afternoon 
as  part  of  Extension  Work,  where  the  lesson  was  taught  to 
mixed  assemblies  by  the  women.  And  yet  hands  went  up  in 
holy  horror  at  bare  mention  of  a  woman  delegate  to  a  Sunday- 
school  Convention,  and  to  speak  on  the  floor  was  to  be  classed 
with  the  suffragette. 

A  prominent  woman  missionary  back  on  furlough  was 
refused  the  privilege  of  addressing  a  Presbyterial  Union,  yet, 
was  sent  to  a  large  College  to  tell  the  young  men  about  China. 


*For  Tokens,  see  South  Carolina’s  History. 


A  perplexing  problem  often  confronted  the  Presbyterial 


30 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


President,  viz. :  How  to  place  on  her  program  for  the  popular 
address,  her  foreign  missionary  woman  speaker,  lest  she  be 
exposed  to  the  ears  of  the  men.  It  went  without  saving:  “Open 
meeting — man  speaker.” 

As  a  result  of  this  attitude  women  were  peculiarly  un¬ 
developed.  At  the  close  of  a  talk  by  Mrs.  J.  L.  Stuart  to  the 
women  of  a  large  city  church  on  her  first  furlough,  Mrs.  Stuart 
asked  for  a  prayer  for  her  safe  return  to  China  and  for  a 
blessing  upon  the  work  there.  Silence  ensued.  No  woman 
present  would  pray  audibly. 

Many  of  us  recall  Montreat  Summer  Conference  of  1913, 
where  the  improvised  pulpit  was  always  set  aside  when  the 
women  were  to  hold  session  and  a  small  table  substituted; 
“Why  shock  our  conservatives”  was  the  policy  of  our  tactful 
Superintendent. 

That  the  general  attitude  towards  woman  was  a  direct 
heritage  of  prejudice  we  insert  here  a  quaint  old  English, 
clipping,  which  we  pass  along,  that  it  may  provoke  a  smile, 
if  not  a  tear,  for  pity’s  sake. 

“It  was  from  Leyden  that  the  leaders  of  the  Pilgrim  Fa¬ 
thers  set  out  for  America.  While  of  course  the  great  motive  of 
this  perilous  adventure  was  the  desire  for  complete  religious 
liberty,  there  were  minor  reasons  why  these  English  Separatists 
were  not  quite  content  in  Holland.  One  may  seem  amusing 
to  American  readers.  ‘The  Dutch  girls  and  women  were  en¬ 
tirely  too  independent  to  suit  these  Englishmen!’  One  of 
them  wrote.  ‘As  the  women  in  these  Provinces  overtop  the 
men  in  number,  so  they  commonly  rule  theire  famylyes.  And 
nothing  is  more  frequent,  than  to  see  the  girles  to  insult  and 
domineere  (with  reproofes  and  nicknames),  over  theire  broth¬ 
ers  and  this  they  do  from  the  first  use  of  speech,  as  if  thev 
were  born  to  rule  over  the  malles.’  ” 

They  say  these  Pilgrims  brought  some  Dutch  customs  with 
them  to  America! 


FOREIGN  MISSIONS 


31 


Another  issue  was  the  mid-century  movement  of  Woman 
m  Medical  Missions. 

Within  this  period  rests  the  historical  setting  of  the  most 
far  reaching  agency,  fraught  with  the  greatest  benediction 
ever  conferred  upon  humanity,  and  yet,  the  most  bitterly  con¬ 
tested.  The  scope  of  our  work  forbids  any  detailed  account 
of  this  new  movement,  born  as  late  as  the  middle  of  last  century 
and  fought  out  within  the  confines  of  our  cultured  East,  but 
that  we  may  stimulate  the  appetite  of  our  readers,  not  familiar 
with  this  story,  let  them  read  further.* 

“Mentally,  morally  and  physically  unfit”  was  the  dictum 
of  the  medical  fraternity,  the  church  and  the  world,  concern¬ 
ing  women  medical  missionaries.  Young  students  on  entering 
public  places  were  encountered  with  vile  epithets,  and  even 
missiles  thrown  and  at  church  were  met  in  the  aisles  with 
drawn  skirts  and  averted  faces,  which  but  proved  what  has 
been  so  truly  said,  “Men  who  were  martyrs  to  the  hatred  and 
violence  of  one  age  are  the  canonized  saints  of  another.” 

Nothing  so  emphasizes  this  as  the  history  of  woman’s 
share  in  Medical  Missions.  That  “she  never  turned  her  back,  but 
marched  breast  forward”  marks  but  another  turn  in  the  wheel 
of  progress  whose  dial  has  been  controlled  by  Almighty  God 
in  all  ages. 

After  the  prayers  and  efforts  of  nearly  three  decades,  and 
even  then,  under  protest  and  suspicion  of  the  clergy,  women 
succeeded  in  forming  their  first  Interdenominational  Union  in 
1861,  in  New  York  City,  with  the  objective  of  sending  woman 
to  woman  with  the  Gospel.  Yet,  at  the  return  of  those  first 
missionaries  of  that  Board  from  Indian  Zenanas,  with  heart 
and  tongue  fired  with  burning  messages,  brave  was  the  Church 
which  ventured  to  open  its  doors  to  a  woman  speaker:  “An 
innovation  altogether  too  questionable.”  “Propriety  and  good 

*£ee  “Western  Women  in  Eastern  Lands,”  “The  Crusade  of  Com¬ 
passion,”  etc. 


32 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


taste”  relegated  woman  to  the  private  drawing  room  and  to 
her  own  sex. 

A  tour  among  the  churches  of  Miss  H.  G.  Brittain,  the 
first  Zenana  missionary  to  return  to  this  country  was  the 
entering  wedge.  (She  was  sent  out  by  the  Interdenominational 
Union).  This  was  the  late  seventies  and  she  was  the  first 
woman  we  ever  heard  speak  on  a  church  rostrum  to  a  mixed 
audience,  f 

As  she  lifted  the  veil  upon  oriental  conditions  of  woman¬ 
hood,  it  was  by  the  thrill  of  her  burning  eloquence  in  the  por¬ 
trayal  of  facts  the  world  had  never  known,  that  truly  the 
messenger  was  lost  in  the  message,  and  prejudice  vanished 
like  mist  before  the  sun,  only  that  mists  have  a  way  of  linger¬ 
ing  here  and  there  in  spots,  which  they  did,  over  all  the  churches 
but  longer  over  the  Southern  Prebyterian  Church. 

Yet  the  tide  had  turned,  and  within  the  next  decade 
Women’s  Denominational  boards  were  taking  shape,  although 
the  church  was  trembling  from  center  to  circumference  for  fear 
of  encroachment  upon  the  powers  that  be;  for  fear  of  a  lowered 
female  standard,  and  other  ghouls  that  haunted  the  imagination 
and  disturbed  the  souls  of  men.  Onward  came  the  tide  of  ap¬ 
peal,  until  when,  as  stories  multiplied  of  Zenana  needs  and 
medical  possibilities,  the  crest  of  the  wave  overflowed  into  a 
flood  of  sympathy,  out  of  which  were  formed,  all  over  the 
country,  missionary  groups,  chiefly  in  the  form  of  Pledge  Bands, 
which  stood  only  for  gifts  at  first  but  which  soon  developed  into 
Foreign  Mission  Societies,  where  the  soul  could  find  expression 
in  timidly  attempted  programs,  with  or  without  the  devotional 
feature.  Then  in  the  early  eighties  began  the  all-round  de¬ 
velopment  of  woman.  Devotionals  led  by  the  women  were  at 
first  the  exception,  and  when  the  pastor  led,  he  considerately 
retired  before  the  women  spoke.  As  has  been  cleverly  said: 
“The  new  woman  was  now  standing  on  the  banks,  like  Eliza 

IThis  was  in  the  town  of  Danville,  Ky.,  Miss  Brittain  was  introduced 
to  her  audience  by  Dr.  Lapsley  McKee,  Vice-President  of  Center  College, 
%  man  ahead  of  his  time. 


FOREIGN  MISSIONS 


33 


in  Uncle  Tom’s  Cabin,  not  daring  to  cross  the  river  on  the 
floating  ice.” 

Led  by  women  of  vision,  who  had  the  courage  of  convic¬ 
tion  (and  backed  by  far-seeing  men),  with  breast  bared  to 
the  shafts  of  cruel  criticism,  she  hesitatingly  took  the  plunge. 
Then  followed  a  period  of  strong  agitation.  Woman’s  position 
and  missionary  zeal  seemed  as  things  apart  in  the  minds  of 
some  of  our  Presbyterian  men,  while  into  the  heart  of  no 
church  did  the  appeal  come  closer,  than  to  our  Southern 
Presbyterian  body. 

From  the  famous  resolution  of  John  Holt  Rice,  in  1831, 
that  “A  member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  is  a  member  for 
life  of  a  Missionary  Society”  down  through  the  separation  of 
the  Church  in  1861,  the  Southern  Presbyterian  Assembly  ever 
unfurled,  as  the  first  inscription  upon  its  banner;  “Go  ye  into 
all  the  world.”  Yet,  under  the  mist  of  what  we  call  “Conser¬ 
vatism,”  long  after  women  of  all  other  churches  had  organized, 
we  find  our  Southern  women  sitting  apart  in  local  bands  with¬ 
out  even  a  system  of  reports. 

See  1889,  Committee’s  Report  to  General  Assembly  on 
Women’s  Societies.  (This  report  came  at  a  period  of  very 
great  agitation  on  the  subject  of  Presbyterial  Unions.) 

“Report  from  68  Presbyteries;  18  forming  Unions;  39 
opposed  to  anything  beyond  the  local  society.  One  arguing 
in  detail  against  any  further  organization.”  ( Alexander’s 
Digest) . 

We  fancy  a  vision  of  the  short  haired  woman  in  trousers 
with  militant  tread,  had  struck  terror  to  that  Presbytery’s 
heart ! 

An  overture  that  blanks  be  furnished  for  society  reports 
was  refused  on  the  ground  that  “ Church  Sessions  can  report 
what  is  necessary.”  It  was  not  until  sixteen  years  later,  1905, 
that  our  Assembly  granted  blanks  for  society  reports.  These 
were  only  for  foreign  missions  and  were  sent  out  by  that 
office. 


34 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


But  as  early  as  1873,  women  and  children  had  a  financial 
standing.  Page  981:  ‘‘The  Assembly  calls  attention  to  the 
remarkable  fact  that  the  gifts  of  our  Sunday  Schools  and  the 
Women’s  Missionary  Associations  during  the  past  year  amount 
to  one-third  of  the  entire  contributions  of  the  Church.” 

In  1897,  page  31:  “In  reply  to  an  overture  from  the 
West  Lexington  Presbytery  for  a  Presbyterial  Woman’s  Union, 
^having  been  refused  in  1892),  the  Assembly  refers  the  Pres¬ 
bytery  to  the  clear  deliverances  of  former  Assemblies  which 
settle  the  principles  involved  in  its  overture,  and  should  guide 
all  our  Church  sessions  in  their  procedure.”  Thus,  the  Old 
School  Assembly  of  1832  and  the  General  Assembly  U.  S.  A., 
of  1872  iterated,  “Meetings  of  pious  women  by  themselves  for 
conversation  and  prayer  wherever  they  can  be  conveniently  held 
are  approved — but  let  not  the  inspired  prohibition  .  .  .be 

forgotten.”  “To  teach  and  exhort  or  lead  in  prayer  in  pro¬ 
miscuous  assemblies  is  clearly  forbidden  by  the  Holy  Oracles.” 

This  deliverance  Assembly  reaffirmed  in  1910. 

Old  files  of  newspapers  of  the  era  of  the  seventies  and 
eighties,  would  provide  some  mighty  interesting  reading  today. 
Many  of  us  would  fail  to  recognize  ourselves  in  some  of  our 
effusions  about  “Sheltered  womanhood,”  “losing  the  fragrance 
of  her  influence,”  “Must  ever  remain  queen  of  her  own  home,” 
and  other  sentimentalities  which  even  today  are  ingrained  with 
enough  truth  to  require  wise  distinction,  yet,  then  constituted 
an  awful  handicap  to  the  honest  demands  of  imperative  need. 

Many  causes  were  conspiring  year  by  year,  to  fill  women 
with  a  longing  for  the  efficiency  that  comes  through  unity  of 
purpose,  of  ideals  and  sympathy. 

“For,  groping  day  by  day, 

Along  the  stony  way, 

We  need  the  comrade  heart 
That  understands, 

And  the  warmth — the  living  warmth 
Of  human  hands.” 


FOREIGN  MISSIONS 


35 


That  Presbyterian  women  were  always  loyal  to  church 
tenets  goes  without  saying:  that  our  church  had  ultra  con¬ 
servative  men  history  has  proven,  but  there  came  inevitably  the 
testing  time,  in  which  we  were  subjected  to  the  stinging  truth 
that  while  the  “Pioneer  must  pay  the  price,”  yet  the  divine 
urge  of  a  “Thou  Shalt”  and  of  “I  cannot  do  otherwise,”  kept 
thundering  in  our  ears  until,  like  Jeremiah  of  old,  a  large  host 
of  women  were  ready  to  say,  “Thy  word  shut  up  in  my  bones  was 
like  a  fire”  and  that  fire  burned  itself  through  the  mass  of 
opposition  that  was  laid  upon  it  and  ate  it’s  way  victoriously 
through  the  whole. 

Praise  God,  that  in  those  days  of  new  visions  and  of  tribu¬ 
lation,  there  were  men  stalwart  and  true  standing  by  us:  men, 
who  clinging  ever  to  fundamentals,  yet  wisely  chose  to  follow 
the  current  of  progress,  refusing  to  take  cover  under  old  con¬ 
ditions  which  barnacle-like  clogged  the  way  to  larger  things, 
the  rather,  preferring  to  become  a  part  of  this  current  that  they 
might  guide  and  direct  it,  and  wisely  it  was  done. 

TRIBUTE. 

These  are  the  men  whom  we  have  asked  the  Synodical 
historians  to  remember  in  their  narratives  and  to  whom  we 
now  pause  to  pay  tribute.  Brethren,  we  are  aware  we  could 
have  done  nothing  without  your  influence.  High  upon  the 
honor  roll  of  ecclesiastical  statesmen  do  we  place  you,  because 
of  your  insight  into  what  constituted  the  sound  constructive 
policy  of  the  church,  the  only  policy  which  could  develop  the 
normal  growth  of  its  entire  membership,  the  outcome  of  which 
has  fully  justified  every  effort  which  has  been  put  forth. 

We  honor  you,  collectively,  as  the  Moses  who  led  us  out 
of  the  wilderness  of  confusion,  and  we  congratulate  you  on 
having  been  the  true  interpreters  of  the  law,  the  prophets  and 
the  new  dispensation,  all  of  which  you  conceded  as  pointing 
to  God’s  purpose  of  making  woman  coexistent  with  man  in 


36 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


service.  We  believe  that  history  in  the  making  today,  fully 
demonstrates  this. 

The  women  of  the  Southern  Presbyterian  Church  had 
(under  great  handicap  because  of  no  organization),  taken  the 
initiative  in  many  important  movements  before  1912,  notably 
that  of  Miss  Jennie  Hanna  and  Mrs.  Sibley,  beginning  in 
1886  or  1887,  in  the  interest  of  foreign  missions,  later  in  regard 
to  the  Foreign  Mission  Debt  Fund,  by  which  women  raised 
$20,000,  also  the  Durant  College  Fund. 

In  1907  there  came  to  our  church  a  crisis ;  a  vision  and 
a  call. 

The  challenge  of  the  foreign  field  had  plunged  us  into 
a  hopeless  debt  and  we  were  being  driven  to  retreat  or  to  take  a 
deeper  plunge;  this  was  the  crisis. 

Then  came  the  vision — enlistment  by  education,  of  every 
man,  woman  and  child  into  a  Forward  Movement  in  behalf  of 
Foreign  Missions.  Such  a  campaign  of  Education  meant  a 
call  for  intensive  organization.  Some  Synodical  and  Presby- 
terial  Unions  existed,  but  they  were  hanging  out  in  space  like 
so  many  lost  planets,  unrelated  to  each  other,  each  circling  in 
its  own  orbit,  with  no  common  center  of  gravity.  Such  was  the 
situation  when,  by  trick  of  fate  unless  God  was  disposing, 
there  came  the  Jubilee  Movement  of  1910,  turning  its  great 
search  light  every  where  for  reports  of  woman’s  work.  Sharply 
was  revealed  by  contrast,  our  helplessness  and  our  isolation. 
We,  alone,  were  without  any  reports  and  without  any  system 
of  collecting  them. 

This  situation,  stirred  like  a  cyclone  uprooting  and  dis¬ 
lodging  mossgrown  impedimenta  which  had  choked  the  cur¬ 
rent,  destined  now  to  sweep  us  into  one  common  organization, 
the  culmination  of  which  was  reached  by  formation  of  the 
Woman’s  Auxiliary  of  the  Southern  Presbyterian  Church,  in 
1912,  at  request  of  the  Bristol  Assembly. 

Surely,  God  is  ever  disposing. 


FOREIGN  MISSIONS 


37 


The  history  of  the  movements  of  the  Church  at  large 
would,  in  their  outcome,  prove  unaccountable,  save  for  that 
divine  leadership  which  disposes  while  man  is  proposing.  Sup¬ 
pose  the  Church  had  carried  out  its  own  purpose  in  regard  tc 
missions:  “When  the  Lord  wants  the  world  converted,  He 
will  do  it  Himself.”  Regarding  Sabbath  Schools:  “A  vio¬ 
lation  of  the  fourth  commandment.”*  Regarding  the  rights 
of  laymen:  “Not  fit  to  handle  the  holy  oracles. ”f  Regarding 
women:  Who,  like  William  Carey,  “refused  to  sit  down  while 
heathen  sisters  perished.” 

Our  Southern  Presbyterian  Church  has  been  blessed  by 
the  service  of  the  very  finest  type  of  womanhood,  whose  names 
are  lovingly  embalmed  in  the  Synodical  sketches.  Two  of ‘these 
may  be  singled  out  as  representatives  of  a  goodly  company, 
one  Mrs.  J.  L.  Stuart,  a  pioneer  to  China  in  1874,  and  the 
other,  Mrs.  Rockwell  Smith,  a  pioneer  to  Brazil  in  1872.  Both 
endured  the  trying  conditions  of  those  early  years,  and  both 
after  long  years  of  strenuous  labor,  sounded  notes  of  triumph 
Mrs.  Stuart  wrote  “were  it  to  be  done  over,  I  would  not  choose 
otherwise.”  Mrs.  Smith  rejoiced  that  her  lines  had  fallen 


*From  Schaff-Herzog  Encyclopedia  of  Religious  Knowledge:  Sunday- 
Schools  in  England  were,  at  first,  sporadic ;  there  was  need  for  a  general 
movement,  bringing  them  into  affiliation  with  each  other,  if  not  into  an  organ¬ 
ized  system.  Robert  Raikes  was  justly  the  founder  of  Sunday-Schools  in 
Gloucester,  England.  The  scheme  commended  itself  to  popular  esteem.  It, 
however,  met  with  vituminous  opposition  from  professors  ©f  religion  who 
questioned  its  usefulness.  The  Bishop  of  Rochester  violently  attacked  the 
movement  and  the  Archbishop  of  Canterbury  called  the  bishops  to  see  what 
could  be  done  to  stop  it.  In  Scotland,  Sabbath-school  teaching  by  laymen 
was  declared  to  be  an  innovation  and  a  violation  of  the  fourth  command¬ 
ment.” 

That  the  old  British  prejudice  against  Sunday-schools  obtained  in  this 
country  in  very  early  days  is  known  by  tradition  and  record.  (See  Tennessee’s 
Synodical  History.) 

fThat  the  Church  was  slow  in  committing  the  holy  oracles  into  the 
hands  of  laymen,  is  gathered  from  the  records  of  the  first  conference  held 
by  the  Kentucky  Churches  in  March  1785,  as  given  in  Davidson’s  History  of 
the  Presbyterian  Church,  page  74  :  “The  propriety  of  elders  conducting 
religious  services  in  the  absence  of  a  minister,  came  under  discussion,  but 
was  referred  for  further  consideration.”  At  the  July  conference,  four  months 
later,  it  was  decided  that  elders  might  hold  religious  services  and  also 
catechize  the  young  people  and  children,  in  absence  of  the  Pastor,  but 
these  catechists  must  be  nominated  by*  the  Pastor  and  approved  by  the 
Presbytery, 


38 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


in  a  pleasant  place.  “Thank  God!  I  have  given  my  life  to 
the  land  of  the  Southern  Cross.” 

Upon  these  two,  as  upon  others,  rests  the  same  crown  of 
glory.  Already  their  sons  are  heads  of  great  educational  in¬ 
stitutions  and  children  of  the  second  and  third  generations  are 
rising  in  those  countries  to  call  them  blessed.  Such  is  the  reward 
of  a  life  hid  with  Christ  in  the  foreign  field. 


GUERRANT  INLAND  MISSION 


.39 


CHAPTER  VI. 

The  Women  of  the  Guerrant  Inland  Mission. 

Although  the  story  of  the  Appalachias  belongs  to  the 
third  period  of  Missions  in  our  country,  yet  it  is  as  thrilling 
as  that  of  the  first,  since  the  work  is  among  a  primitive  people. 
While  some  attention  had  been  given  in  a  desultory  way  to 
this  field,  nothing  definite  nor  systematic  was  planned  until 
Dr.  Edward  O.  Guerrant  really  discovered  the  mountains,  at 
the  time  of  our  Civil  War.  After  its  close,  as  he  said,  his 
heart  naturally  turned  to  the  pathetic  need  of  this  great  body 
of  people,  so  utterly  destitute  of  the  Gospel  and  as  a  J^rave 
soldier  in  civil  service,  he  answered  a  call  which  challenged 
all  of  the  faith,  and  physical  courage  of  the  soldier  of  the  Cross. 

If  ever  there  was  a  man  of  vision  it  was  Edward  O.  Guer¬ 
rant.  If  ever  a  man  of  prayer  it  was  he.  He  literally  prayed 
into  being  the  Guerrant  Mission.  Through  his  spiritual  power, 
financial  aid  came  flowing  in  from  every  source.  He  says: 
‘Tt  came  even  from  China  and  the  Sandwich  Islands.”  Men 
and  women  from  North,  South,  East  and  West  responded  by 
offer  of  life  service.  From  the  first,  a  goodly  proportion  of 
women  offered  themselves  and  have  continued  to  offer. 

COMMITTED  TO  HIS  CHURCH. 

After  twenty-five  years  of  work  among  these  people,  broken 
health  compelled  him  to  cease  his  arduous  campaign  and  in 
1911,  after  choosing  his  own  Elisha  upon  whom  to  rest  his 
burden,  he  committed  to  the  General  Assembly  the  sacred 
trust  of  his  Mountain  Mission  with  its  fifty  missionaries,  and 
the  man  of  his  choice,  Rev.  James  W.  Tyler,  was  named  as  his 
successor. 

Through  Dr.  Tyler’s  personal  testimony,  we  are  warranted 
in  saying  that  this  is  a  class  of  service  unexcelled  in  the 


40 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


annals  of  Missions,  in  moral  and  physical  heroism,  in  the 
sacrifice  of  isolation  and  deprivation  of  things  dear  to  human 
comfort.  The  casual  reader  can  form  no  conception  of  what 
it  means  to  our  women,  to  adapt  themselves  to  mountain  con¬ 
ditions.  Yet,  Dr.  Tyler  is  impressed  with  how  they  are  prov¬ 
ing  the  mettle  of  their  race,  “mild  as  game  and  game  as  mild.” 

The  worth-whileness  of  this  work  is  in  the  fact  that  the 
potter  is  molding  out  of  the  same  Anglo-Saxon  clay  as  our¬ 
selves,  vessels  fit  for  the  Master’s  use — the  same  clay  but 
stranded  in  the  tide  of  immigration.  Dr.  Guerrant  reminded 
us,  that  after  a  century  and  a  half  of  isolation,  the  Highlander 
is  not  a  degenerate,  but  ds  of  a  race  virile  and  susceptible  of 
strong  development,  in  that  he  is  already  filling  the  ranks  of 
our  depleted  ministry  and  broken  lines  of  foreign  service. 

While  we  would  give  generous  accord  to  the  men  of  this 
mission,  because  Dr.  Guerrant’s  Godly  stamp  rests  upon  them, 
and  his  mantle  fell  on  worthy  shoulders,  yet  the  faithful,  daily 
school  grind  is  largely  done  by  women  and  is  an  outstanding  fact 
of  their  rugged  endurance. 

A  personal  reminiscence  or  two  will  show  the  type  of 
worker  in  the  mountains.  One  morning,  three  years  ago,  1920, 
as  I  sat  at  breakfast  in  the  dining  room  of  Lee’s  Collegiate 
Institute,  where,  at  the  same  table  were  nine  cultured  young 
teachers  come  over  to  Jackson  Conference  from  Highland 
School,  I  took  an  appraising  glance,  and  thoughts  like  these 
passed  through  my  mind — spiritual  warfare  surely  has  a  fair 
chance  to  win  when  God  is  laying  His  hand  on  material  like 
this;  here  are  young  women  inured  within  these  mountain  fast¬ 
nesses,  backs  turned  to  everything  alluring,  for  the  sake  of  soul 
saving,  living  in  an  atmosphere  so  far  removed  from  indi¬ 
vidual  taste.  (The  salaries  are  never  sufficient  to  tempt  them.) 

Again,  as  we  sat  one  night  at  the  close  of  a  wonderful 
Woman’s  Day  in  this  same  Conference,  the  three  of  us — two 
from  a  distant  mountain  mission  point,  and  the  only  two  at 


GUERRANT  INLAND  MISSION 


41 


that  point — and  as  I  listened  to  their  heart  stories  of  the  work 
out  there,  I  saw’  revealed  in  them  such  a  passion  for  souls  as 
opened  anew7  my  understanding  of  the  joy  of  service;  and  the 
light  came  clearer,  when,  there  under  the  moonlight,  we  learned 
that  in  one  of  these  young  women  flowed  the  blood  of  Eliza¬ 
beth  McRae,  of  pioneer  fame,  in  North  Carolina.  The  other, 
w7as  a  shining  example  of  a  faith  and  love  for  the  Master 
that  led  her  away  from  wealth,  social  position  and  all  of  life’s 
endearments,  into  a  sacrificial  service,  the  world  understands 
not.  A  wave  of  self-depreciation  flooded  my  own  soul  and  I 
sat  rebuked. 

A  name  which  should  be  enrolled  high  upon  the  flag  of 
service  is  that  of  Mrs.  Fannie  Smith  Escott.  She  relinquished 
all  the  privileges  of  city  life,  to  which  she  was  born,  to  join 
her  husband  as  a  home  missionary  in  the  mountains. 

The  telling  of  one  of  her  experiences  may  strengthen 
others.  The  last  good-byes  had  been  said  to  children  and 
friends  after  a  visit  home,  and  the  train  was  pulling  out  of 
the  Louisville  station.  Removed  from  all  restraint,  she  gave 
vent  to  a  flood  of  tears,  when  suddenly  she  remembered  a 
calendar  which  had  been  placed  in  her  hand  by  a  friend  on 
parting.  Turning  for  the  message  of  the  day,  she  read:  “He 
that  goeth  forth  weeping,  bearing  precious  seeds,  shall  come 
again  rejoicing,  bringing  in  the  sheaves.” 

•  A  tribute  of  special  appreciation  is  due  Mrs.  H.  L. 
Cockerham,  who  is  not  only  Synodical  president  of  Kentucky, 
but,  with  her  husband,  is  pioneering  in  and  around  the  lum¬ 
ber  camp  of  Quicksand,  one  of  our  most  remote  mountain  mis¬ 
sion  stations.  She  is  literally  pouring  out  her  life  in  sacri¬ 
ficial  service. 

THE  CHALLENGE  TO  BE  MET. 

The  territory  of  this  Mission  exceeds  that  of  the  German 
Empire;  it  contains  the  largest  body  of  white  people  unevan¬ 
gelized  on  our  Continent.  A  mighty  challenge  this,  of  home 


42 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


work,  being  flung  into  the  face  of  this  Twentieth  Century — 
the  great  American  Woman’s  Challenge  to  her  own  race. 

Out  of  women  of  the  foregoing  type  the  Lord  can  and 
will  raise  up  workers  “as  stones  for  the  building”  of  the 
temple  of  His  indwelling  Spirit. 


BUILDING  THE  AUXILIARY 


43 


CHAPTER  VII. 

The  Building  of  the  Auxiliary. 

As  we  begin  the  story  of  the  building  of  the  Woman’s 
Auxiliary  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  U.  S.,  we  find  ourselves 
standing,  as  it  were,  under  the  very  shadow  of  His  presence, 
so  clearly  do  we  see  how  He  builded  for  us.  A  structure  so 
beautiful  in  its  strength  and  proportion,  so  majestic  in  its  out¬ 
lines,  could  only  have  emerged  through  the  touch  of  the  Divine 
hand. 

It  was  the  plea  from  foreign  fields  which  stirred  the 
hearts  of  the  women  for  ways  and  means  of  more  effective 
service  and  which  evoked  the  first  call  for  a  union  of  forces. 

Suddenly  throughout  the  South,  the  conservative  silence 
of  the  eighties  was  broken  by  two  clear  voices,  as  they  sought 
to  waken  echoes  all  over  the  church;  Miss  Jennie  Hanna,  of 
Kansas  City,  Missouri,  and  Mrs.  Josiah  Sibley,  of  Augusta, 
Georgia,  both  with  the  same  vision  and  ideals  before  them, 
had  found  each  other  through  the  leadings  of  Providence.  Their 
meeting  was  only  by  letter  and  the  printed  page,  and  though 
living  so  far  apart  and  varying  in  age  as  mother  and  daughter, 
each  recognized  in  the  other  a  zealous  and  earnest  comrade  in 
shaping  and  launching  a  movement  which  they  wished  to  bring 
before  every  woman  of  the  church.* 

“The  Great  Commission”  had  always  been  a  guiding  star 
in  the  life  of  Mrs.  Sibley  and  her  desire  for  a  more  effective 
use  of  the  latent  powers  of  the  womanhood  of  the  church  in 
propagating  the  Gospel  of  Christ,  had,  from  time  to  time,  been 
influenced  and  shaped  by  such  missionary  pioneers  as  Miss 
Anna  Safford,  Miss  Fleming  and.  Mrs.  J.  L.  Stuart,  as  they 
made  her  home  their  home  when  on  furlough. 

Miss  Jennie  Hanna  had  a  Sunday-school  class  of  girls, 

*Mrs.  Sibley  was  born  in  1826  and  Miss  Hanna  in  1856.  Mrs.  Sibley 
lived  to  see  Presbyterials  rapidly  multiplying.  Miss  Hanna,  though  an  in¬ 
valid,  has  made  the  building  of  the  Auxiliary  the  whole  purpose  of  her 
life,  and  to-day  is  in  close  touch  with  every  progressive  step. 


44 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


whom  she  banded  into  a  missionary  class  at  the  suggestion 
of  her  pastor’s  wife,  Mrs.  H.  B.  Boude,  the  first  link  in  a 
mighty  chain  of  God’s  Providence.  Of  it,  she  writes: 

“When  my  girls  and  I  got  into  real,  earnest  work,  we  felt 
the  need  of  being  attached  to  some  organized  body  for  guid¬ 
ance  and  information  in  all  sorts  of  ways.  As  there  was  abso¬ 
lutely  nothing  in  the  Southern  Church  which  we  could  join, 
and  the  Northern  Presbyterian  women  had  their  whole  system 
in  beautiful  operation  in  Missouri,  I  took  my  band  to  the 
Women’s  Board  of  the  Southwest.  I  was  young,  enthusiastic, 
and  ignorant,  and  found  exactly  the  counsel  and  inspiration 
which  I  needed  among  those  devout  and  able  women.  It  was 
a  revelation  to  me,  and  I  can  never  cease  to  be  thankful  for 
the  few  years  of  association  with  such  a  body  of  live,  intelli¬ 
gent,  business-like,  thoroughly  consecrated,  faithful  women.  It 
gave  me  a  practical  training  and  a  spiritual  vision  which  I 
Could  ill  have  spared.  I  thought  seriously  of  going  into  the 
Northern  Church  just  because  of  their  woman’s  work.  There 
was  no  place  in  our  own  church  where  an  inexperienced  young 
woman  could  go  for  any  such  advantages.  Such  an  organi¬ 
zation  had  apparently  never  been  thought  of.  But  the  wise 
counsels  of  that  rare  Christian  gentleman,  Dr.  M.  H.  Houston, 
then  our  Secretary  of  Foreign  Missions,  kept  me  at  home. 
His  advice  was  to  try  to  arouse  our  own  women  and  see  if 
co-operation  could  not  be  attained  among  them.  My  wildest 
dreams  would  never  have  led  me  to  plan  such  a  step;  I  felt  too 
keenly  my  lack  of  proper  qualifications,  but  I  tried  to  do  faith¬ 
fully  the  “next  thing.”  The  time  was  evidently  ripe  for  just 
that  movement.  All  over  the  .South  there  was  a  realization  of 
the  waste  of  power  and  opportunity  among  our  women;  a  feel¬ 
ing  that  we  were  far,  far  from  coming  up  to  the  measure  of 
our  duty  in  missionary  work.  The  same  thought  was  in  scores 
of  hearts  at  the  same  time.  The  smoldering  fire  needed  only  a 
spark  to  make  it  burst  into  flame,  and  surely  the  Holy  Spirit 
kindled  that  spark.” 


BUILDING  THE  AUXILIARY 


45 


About  the  fall  of  1886,  Miss  Hanna  and  Mrs.  Sibley  came 
in  contact,  just  how  has  been  forgotten,  but  with  hearts  fired 
with  a  kindred  zeal,  they  agreed  that  they  two,  without  waiting 
for  anyone  else,  would  undertake  to  reach  every  one  of  the 
over  two  thousand  churches  in  the  Assembly.  To  do  this,  Miss 
Hanna  says: 

“Our  first  step  was  to  gather  the  names  of  the  active  mis¬ 
sionary  women  in  every  church.  We  obtained  the  addresses  of 
the  pastors,  from  the  Minutes  of  the  Assembly,  in  order  to  ask 
them  for  these  names,  and  wrote  hundreds  of  circular  letters, 
copied  on  the  Cyclostyle.  No  easy  typewriter  with  carbon  copies 
was  at  our  service  then.  Of  course,  many  of  the  letters  were 
unanswered;  but  some  pastors  responded  generously.  Then  we 
sent  hundreds  of  other  letters,  both  written  and  printed,  to  the 
women  thus  located,  making  the  strongest  appeal  we  could  foi 
organization;  setting  forth  its  necessity  and  advantages.  Mrs. 
Sibley  helped  to  raise  the  funds  for  printing  and  postage,  so 
did  the  woman’s  Society  of  Central  Church,  Kansas  City.” 

The  character  of  their  appeal  is  shown  by  an  extract  from 
one  of  their  circular  letters. 

“This  is  pre-eminently  the  day  of  opportunity,  the  day  of 
crises  in  missionary  work.  The  whole  future  of  the  church  will 
probably  in  a  great  measure  be  determined  by  the  work  of  the 
American  church  during  the  next  twenty-five  years.  Are  we 
making  any  adequate  return  for  our  innumerable  blessings? 
Are  we,  the  women  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  South,  making 
any  effort  commensurate  with  our  ability  to  preach  the  Gospel 
to  every  creature?  In  this  age  of  ‘Woman’s  Work,’  ours  is 
almost  if  not  the  only  evangelical  church  in  America  without 
any  Woman’s  Missionary  organization.  True,  we  have  many 
missionary  societies  doing  a  noble  work,  but  these  only  show 
what  we  might  be  doing  by  united  universal  effort.  They 
serve  to  reveal  the  talent,  the  energy,  the  ability,  the  love,  we 
are  wasting,  by  not  having  it  developed  into  service.  Oh,  listen! 


46 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


dare  we  withhold  from  our  Master  the  service  He  has  made  us 
able  to  render?” 

Their  aim  was  first,  the  planting  of  a  Missionary  Society 
in  every  church  in  the  Assembly  then  for  the  speedy  uniting 
of  these  into  Presbyterial  and  Synodical  Unions,  culminating 
in  one  general  organization.  So  clear  was  their  vision  and  sc 
earnest  their  purpose,  that  they  hoped  to  carry  the  whole  church 
along  with  them,  but  revolutions  are  not  effected  in  a  night. 
Miss  Hanna  writes: 

“Dr.  Houston  tried  gently  to  let  me  down  from  my  high 
hopes  and  counseled  us  to  ask  only  for  Presbyterial  organiza¬ 
tion.  If  I  had  known  the  Southern  Church  as  I  do  now,  I 
should  never  have  gone  in  with  any  such  assurance  of  success. 
I  am  southern  born  myself,  of  Kentucky  and  Virginia  ancestry, 
and  Huguenot  back  of  that,  and  I  thought  I  was  conservative 
and  a  loyal  Presbyterian,  but  I  found  I  did  not  know  the 
alphabet  of  conservatism!  It  was  also  hard  to  convince  many 
people  that  I  was  even  remotely  Presbyterian!  The  storm  of 
criticism,  misconception  and  indignation  which  broke  upon 
our  devoted  heads  was,  to  put  it  mildly,  a  surprise.  With  vast 
stores  of  unused  ability  latent  among  our  women,  of  conse¬ 
crated  service  and  money,  withheld  from  a  cause  so  sorely 
needing  them,  we  supposed  that  any  plan  which  could  put  all 
this  energy  to  a  wide  and  effective  use  would  be  gladly  wel¬ 
comed,  if  it  could  be  proven  right  and  expedient,  and  that  a 
simple,  straightforward  statement  would  be  accepted  as  such. 
That  policy,  conciliation,  infinite  tact  and  long  suffering,  were 
essential  qualifications,  in  presenting  an  advance  movement  in 
the  preaching  of  the  Gospel,  was  an  unexpected  lesson.  In 
1888  we  wrote  an  appeal  to  the  women  at  large,  which  was  pub¬ 
lished  in  the  Louisville  Christian  Observer.  It  sounds  mod¬ 
erate  and  temperate  as  I  read  it  over  now,  but  Dr.  T.  D. 
Witherspoon  gave  us,  also  in  the  Observer,  a  particularly  severe 
reply.  He  was  sure  he  could  see  the  cloven  hoof  of  woman’s 
suffrage  under  our  petticoats.” 


BUILDING  THE  AUXILIARY 


47 


In  answering  the  opposition,  which,  to  their  innocent  sur¬ 
prise,  was  aroused,  Miss  Hanna  says: 

“How  much,  Oh,  how  much,  I  learned  in  those  days,  of 
the  grace  of  gentleness  and  patient  perseverance  and  Christian 
courtesy.  That  the  time  was  the  Lord’s  and  the  seed  of  His 
own  planting  was  shown  by  the  results.” 

There  were  many  ministers  who  regarded  the  movement  as 
“unscriptural,  un-Presbyterian,  un-womanly”  and  some  Church 
Courts  began  to  overture  General  Assembly  against  it. 

On  the  other  hand,  letters  of  approbation  and  support  be¬ 
gan  to  pour  in,  showing  that  even  at  that  early  period  there 
were  in  every  State,  men  and  women  of  vision  longing  for  the 
same  objective.  Letters  came  from  workers  abroad,  who,  Tor 
years,  had  been  depressed  with  the  want  of  co-ordination  and 
its  resulting  loss  of  power,  letters  from  our  godly  men  who 
have  now  passed  beyond:  Dr.  M.  H.  Houston,  Dr.  D.  C. 
Rankin,  Dr.  A.  L.  Phillips,  and  Dr.  W.  H.  Marquess,  and 
from  those  who  are  still  laboring  today,  Dr.  W.  R.  Dobyns, 
Dr.  Chas.  Nesbit,  Dr.  S.  L.  Morris,  Mr.  R.  E.  Magill  and 
Dr.  R.  O.  Flynn. 

A  few  Presbyteries  organized  almost  at  once.  East  Han¬ 
over,  Va.,  was  the  first,  Wilmington,  N.  C.,  the  second.  Within 
one  year,  the  women  of  twenty  Presbyteries  were  working  for 
organization,  and  five  had  official  support.  Mrs.  Sibley,  who 
died  in  1898,  lived  to  see  Presbyterial  Unions  in  half  of  the 
Synods.  The  apostolic  work  of  Mrs.  Elizabeth  McRae,  of 
Fayetteville  Presbytery,  N.  C.,  stands  out  pre-eminently,  as 
does  that  of  Mrs.  M.  D.  Irvine,  of  Kentucky,  and  Mrs.  Chas. 
Rowland,  of  Georgia. 

The  year  1910  found  seventy-eight  out  of  eighty-four  Pres¬ 
byteries  and  five  out  of  fourteen  Synods  organized,  but  ap¬ 
parently  no  nearer  than  before  to  any  general  organization. 
rLhe  thought  had  not  been  forgotten,  however.  When  the  Pres¬ 
byterial  Union  of  Upper  Missouri  met  in  Kansas  City  in  1909. 


48 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


and  the  formation  of  a  Synodical  Union  was  urged,  the  logical 
Union  of  all  Synodicals  into  one  body  was  given  as  a  reason 
for  hastening  State  organization,  but  so  weak  was  the  faith  of 
some,  that  it  was  advised  no  mention  of  a  general  body  be  made 
publicly,  if  success  was  desired.  All  over  the  South  there 
were  women  of  practical  ability  and  faith  who  recognized  the 
waste  of  power  and  opportunity,  because  there  were  only  scat¬ 
tered  units,  not  utilizing  one  particle  of  the  strength  and  in¬ 
spiration  of  concentration  of  the  forces.  When  the  wave  of 
enthusiasm  swept  over  the  country,  as  the  Jubilee  was  cele¬ 
brated  from  the  Pacific  to  the  Atlantic  in  1910,  the  Southern 
Presbyterian  Church  was  the  only  evangelical  denomination  in 
this  whole  country  which  had  no  central  organization  of  its 
women,  no  comprehensive  records,  no  accurate  reports  of  their 
splendid  work. 

A  Leader  Called  Into  Service. 

Certainly  the  time  was  fully  ripe  for  wiser  conduct  of 
the  work,  and  God  had  prepared  His  leader,  as  He  always 
does  when  we  are  ready  to  march  into  the  promised  land.  The 
granddaughter  of  one  of  our  ablest  pioneer  home  missionaries, 
with  personal  experience  in  founding  missions  among  Slavs 
and  Italians,  Mrs.  W.  C.  Winsborough,  of  Kansas  City,  grasped 
the  full  significance  of  the  situation.  All  the  spring  and  early 
summer  of  1911  the  necessity  of  uniform  organization  under 
the  leadership  of  one  efficient  woman,  became  more  impressed 
upon  her  heart.  Finally,  one  hot  June  morning,  this  busy 
housewife  and  mother,  when  the  children  were  all  at  school, 
dropped  the  breakfast  dishes  and  wrote  out  “Some  Reasons  Why 
a  Woman  Secretary  is  Needed,”  which  afterwards  became  the 
first  document  in  this  campaign. 

The  paper  was  sent  to  Mrs.  D.  A.  McMillan,  President 
of  the  Missouri  Synodical,  who  at  once  submitted  it  to  her 
executive  committee,  and  then  to  the  Synodical  Presidents  of 
Virginia,  Texas,  Alabama,  Georgia  and  Kentucky,  these  with 


BUILDING  THE  AUXILIARY 


49 


Missouri  being  the  only  Synodicals  then  organized.  The  paper 
received  their  unanimous  approval.  She  also  sent  it  to  some 
of  the  officers  of  the  Committee  of  Systematic  Beneficence,  thus 
bringing  it  to  the  notice  of  the  men  best  able  to  advise  and  en¬ 
courage.  Mrs.  Calvin  Stewart,  of  Richmond,  Va.,  wrote  many 
letters  both  to  pastors  and  to  women,  and  circulated  type-written 
copies  of  “Reasons  Why,”  helping  to  bring  the  matter  before 
some  of  the  strongest  workers  in  Georgia,  Alabama  and  Texas. 
Many  representative  men  and  women  had  the  subject  before 
them  before  any  official  step  was  taken. 

The  Executive  Committee  of  Missouri  Synodical  directed 
Mrs.  McMillan,  with  Mrs.  Winsborough  and  Miss  Hanna,  to 
present  the  ‘‘Reasons  Why”  to  the  Synod  of  Missouri,  which 
was  to  meet  in  Kansas  City  on  November  1st,  1911.  Mrs. 
McMillan  was  detained  by  illness,  but  the  day  saw  two  eager 
women  with  high  hopes  and  courage,  but  with  absolutely  no 
experience,  on  hand  with  their  precious  missive.  Dr.  W.  R. 
Dobyns  had  already  agreed  to  present  the  matter  to  Synod,  but 
he  told  them  it  must  first  be  put  in  the  form  of  an  overture. 
Again,  Mrs.  Winsborough  put  her  skill  to  work,  reshaping  the 
‘‘Reasons  Why”  into  the  following: 

OVERTURE 

The  Women’s  Synodical  Union  of  Missouri. 

Recognizing  with  a  deep  sense  of  gratitude  the  work  God 
has  permitted  our  women  to  do  in  the  cause  of  Missions,  at 
home  and  abroad,  and  earnestly  desiring  to  increase  their 
efficiency  in  this  cause,  they  wish  to  call  your  attention  to  the 
following  facts: 

1.  Women  constitute  fully  three-fifths  of  the  membership 
of  the  church. 

2.  A  large  proportion  of  the  mission  money  of  our  Church 
comes  from  Women's  Societies. 

3.  The  Woman’s  Missionary  Society  is  a  very  active  agent 


50 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


in  the  education  of  the  Church  in  missions  and  in  arousing  en¬ 
thusiasm  and  planning  work. 

4.  Women,  as  mothers  and  teachers,  are  exerting  the  great¬ 
est  influence  on  the  younger  generation. 

5.  The  Presbyterian  Church,  U.  S.,  is  the  only  orthodox 
denomination  in  America  which  has  not  its  woman’s  work  uni¬ 
formly  organized. 

6.  While  the  affairs  of  our  Church  at  large  are  being  con¬ 
ducted  along  lines  of  modern  methods,  the  work  of  the  women 
has  been  allowed  to  drag,  greatly  hampered  by  inefficient  or¬ 
ganization,  or  none  at  all.  Twenty-five  years  ago,  the  first 
Presbyterian  Union  was  formed.  In  this  quarter  of  a  century 
since,  only  five  Synods  have  taken  the  next  step  and  formed 
Synodical  organizations,  yet  the  efficiency  of  the  State  organi¬ 
zation  is  shown  by  the  fact  that  the  women  of  Virginia  in¬ 
creased  their  offerings  $3,000  in  one  year  as  the  result  of 
organization. 

In  view  of  these  facts,  and  believing  that  our  church  has 
failed  to  develop  the  possibilities  in  this  part  of  her  member¬ 
ship,  we,  the  Women’s  Synodical  Union  of  Missouri,  ask  that 
this  Synod  approve  our  intention  to  unite  with  other  Synodical 
Unions  in  an  appeal  to  the  General  Assembly  to  appoint  a 
woman  General  Secretary  of  Women’s  Work  in  the  Presbyterian 
Church,  U.  ,S. 

The  duties  of  this  Secretary  may  be  as  follows: 

1.  To  co-ordinate  Woman’s  Missionary  Work  as  now  con¬ 
ducted  in  Synodical  and  Presbyterial  Unions,  Woman’s  Socie¬ 
ties,  Young  People’s  Societies,  Junior  Missionary  Bands,  and 
Missions  in  the  Sunday  School. 

2.  To  stimulate  interest  by  personal  visitation,  and  by  dis¬ 
seminating  information,  and  to  increase  gifts  through  the  regu¬ 
lar  channels  of  the  Church,  bringing  to  us  modern  methods 
that  have  been  tested  by  use. 

3.  To  organize  the  women  into  local  societies  and  into 


BUILDING  THE  AUXILIARY 


51 


Presbyterial  and  Synodical  Unions,  under  Sessional,  Presby- 
terial  and  Synodical  control,  and  to  keep  records,  and  statistics 
of  all  women’s  work  for  the  purpose  of  comparison  and  pub¬ 
licity. 

Supervision. 

We  desire  this  Secretary  to  work  under  whatever  efficient 
supervision  the  General  Assembly  may  direct,  through  its  Execu¬ 
tive  Committees. 

We  earnestly  hope  this  Synod  will  set  its  seal  of  approval 
upon  this  attempt  of  its  women  to  increase  their  efficiency  in 
the  great  cause  of  carrying  the  gospel  to  the  world. 

Signed:  The  Executive  Committee  of  the  Woman’s  Synod¬ 
ical  Union  of  Missouri,  Mrs.  D.  A.  McMillan,  President.' 

This  was  unanimously  approved  by  the  Synod  of  Missouri. 
November  2nd,  1911,  and  by  the  Woman’s  Synodical  Union  of 
Virginia,  November  3rd,  1911. 

Mrs.  McMillan  appointed  Mrs.  Winsborough  and  Miss 
H  anna  as  official  committee  on  organization,  and  the  campaign 
began. 

A  first  necessity  was  money,  for  such  a  big  task  could 
not  be  handled  in  a  small  way.  Printing,  postage,  telegraph 
and  long  distance  telephone  expense  had  to  be  met.  A  large 
part  of  the  funds  necessary  for  initial  expense  was  contributed 
by  the  Missouri  women  in  their  loyalty  to  their  leaders,  and  was 
all  given  by  individuals,  women’s  societies,  and  Presbyterial 
Unions,  never  by  public  appeal. 

Within  ten  days  after  the  approval  of  the  overture  by  the 
Synod  of  Missouri,  a  vigorous  educational  campaign  was 
launched,  and  there  was  put  into  circulation  throughout  the 
church  hundreds  of  copies  of  the  overture,  with  the  “Reasons 
Why”  and  “The  Nots”  which  were: 

We  are  NOT  asking  more  AUTHORITY. 

We  are  NOT  asking  the  HANDLING  OF  FUNDS. 


52 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


We  are  NOT  asking  the  CREATION  OF  ANY  NEW 
AGENCY. 

We  ARE  asking  MORE  EFFICIENCY  through  BET¬ 
TER  ORGANIZATION  AND  CLOSER  UNION  OF  OUR 
FORCES. 

At  the  same  time,  the  committee  kept  in  close  touch  with 
Assembly’s  Executive  Committees,  from  whom  they  received 
much  encouragement  and  help.  Never,  at  any  time,  was  the 
work  done  independently  of  the  constituted  authorities. 

A  meeting  of  the  representatives  of  the  nine  organized 
Synodicals  was  called  for  February  9th,  1912,  in  Atlanta,  at 
which  time  and  place  Assembly’s  Systematic  Beneficence  Com¬ 
mittee  would  be  in  session,  and  as  that  body  represented  all 
departments  of  the  work  of  the  church,  it  was  felt  they  could 
give  much  valuable  advice  towards  a  well-balanced  Department 
of  Woman’s  work.  At  this  conference  there  were  present,  repre¬ 
sentatives  from  seven  Synodicals:  Alabama,  Mrs.  J.  B.  Knox, 
Mrs.  J.  G.  Snedecor;  Georgia,  Mrs.  E.  H.  Phillips,  Mrs.  Archi¬ 
bald  Davis,  Mrs.  J.  S.  Thompson,  Mrs.  C.  A.  Rowland,  Mrs. 
W.  M.  Everett;  Missouri,  Mrs.  W.  C.  Winsborough,  Mrs.  D.  A. 
McMillan;  North  Carolina,  Miss  Margaret  Rankin;  South 
Carolina,  Mrs.  W.  W.  Simpson,  Miss  Leona  Blake;  Texas, 
Mrs.  Chris.  G.  Dullnig;  Virginia,  Mrs.  J.  Calvin  Stewart,  Mrs. 
A.  M.  Howison.  Mrs.  Irvine,  of  Kentucky,  and  the  Tennessee 
members  were  detained  by  illness,  as  was  also  Miss  Jennie 
Hanna. 

Many  of  the  delegates  had  attended  the  Laymen’s  Mis¬ 
sionary  Convention  in  Chattanooga,  and  went  from  that  to 
their  own  Conference,  inspired  by  its  Pentecostal  power.  Mrs. 
Winsborough  explained  the  history  of  the  movement  and  its  de¬ 
velopment  step  by  step.  Each  Synodical  gave  its  formal  ap¬ 
proval  to  the  Overture  and  the  resolution  was  passed  unani¬ 
mously  “That  the  General  Assembly  be  asked  to  give  us  a 
Secretary  of  Women’s  Work.”  Realizing  that  if  the  Secretary 


BUILDING  THE  AUXILIARY 


53 


were  appointed  the  Assembly’s  Committee  would  desire  the 
opinion  of  the  leading  women,  the  conference  discussed  many 
important  points.  Again,  the  influence  of  the  Spirit  was  shown 
in  the  clearness  and  concentration  of  thought,  the  grasp  of 
details  to  be  worked  out,  making  possible  the  accomplishment 
of  more  real  business  than  would  ordinarily  have  resulted  from 
a  month  of  discussion.  It  was  decided  that  the  expense  neces¬ 
sary  to  the  appointment  and  maintenance  of  the  General  Secre¬ 
tary  be  assumed  by  the  women’s  missionary  societies  for  two 
years,  and  that  not  less  than  one  dollar  per  year  be  asked  from 
each  society.  It  was  fondly  imagined  that  every  society  would 

give,  and  that  the  office  could  be  financed  on  $2,500.00,  which 

* 

showed  ignorance  in  more  respects  than  one.  Mrs.  A.  M. 
Rowison  was  made  Chairman  of  the  Committee  on  Finance. 
Regarding  the  method  of  presenting  the  Overture  to  the  Assem¬ 
bly,  it  was  decided  again  to  appeal  for  aid  to  the  Systematic 
Beneficence  Committee,  since  the  women  were  working  already 
under  all  four  departments  of  mission  work.  A  permanent 
committee  to  serve  for  two  years,  called  the  Advisory  Commit¬ 
tee,  was  formed,  consisting  of  the  Synodical  presidents  in  order 
of  their  organization,  with  the  addition  of  Mrs.  Howison, 
Treasurer,  and  the  Missouri  Committee  on  organization,  Mrs. 
Winsborough  and  Miss  Hanna,  Mrs.  Winsborough  being  made 
Chairman.  Realizing  the  need  of  diffusing  very  general  in¬ 
formation,  the  Missouri  Committee  was  requested  to  carry  on 
an  educational  campaign  until  the  meeting  of  the  Assembly  in 
May,  the  Advisory  Committee  pledging  themselves  to  meet  the 
expense. 

The  delegates  then  presented  their  request  for  assistance 
to  the  Systematic  Beneficence  Committee  with  the  following  re¬ 
sult: 

Copy  from  minutes  of  S.  B.  Committee,  Atlanta,  Ga. 

February  10,  1912. 

9:00  A.  M. 

“At  10:00  o’clock,  the  committee  heard  the  representatives 


54 


PIONEER 


WOMEN 


of  the  women’s  organizations.  Their  plan  of  procedure  was 
heartily  and  unanimously  approved,  and  their  requests  referred 


to  the  Committee  on  Publicity  to  be  reported  upon  at  the  meet 
ing  of  the  committee  in  May.” 


r 


BUILDING  THE  AUXILIARY  55 

Copy  from  Second  Annual  Report — Bristol,  Va.-Tenn., 

May,  1912. 

Under  “Miscellaneous  Recommendations”  to  the  Assembly: 

(5)  “A  committee  of  ladies  representing  women’s  organi¬ 
zations  appeared  before  the  committee  at  its  meeting  in  Atlanta, 
in  February,  and  asked  consideration  of  plans  regarding  a  Sec¬ 
retary  of  Women’s  Work.  The  members  of  the  Systematic 
Beneficence  Committee  heartily  approved  of  their  plans,  but 
understanding  that  an  overture  is  coming  direct  to  the  Assem¬ 
bly,  we  make  no  recommendations.” 

The  education  campaign  which  was  pushed  with  the  great¬ 
est  vigor,  continued  to  meet  with  criticism  and  severe  judgment, 
much  of  it  due  to  misapprehension  and  partial  information. 
This  was  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  the  movement  conformed 
to  Assembly’s  call  in  1909,  for  a  greater  perfection  in  organi¬ 
zation  of  the  women;  that  it  provided  for  all  possible  super¬ 
vision  Sessional,  Presbyterial  and  Synodical;  that  it  represented 
all  the  causes  of  the  Church,  which  was  the  new  plan  of  the 
Systematic  Beneficence  Committee,  and  that  it  was  the  logical 
development  of  Presbyterial  and  Synodical  Unions. 

As  the  time  drew  near  for  the  meeting  of  the  Assembly 
at  Bristol  it  seemed  wisest  to  present  the  Overture  directly  to 
the  Assembly,  instead  of  through  the  Systematic  Beneficence 
Committee. 

The  Overture  was  sent  to  the  retiring  Moderator,  Dr.  Rus¬ 
sell  Cecil,  who  would  be  chairman  of  committee  on  bills  and 
overtures,  asking  him  to  refer  it  to  an  unbiased  committee,  also 
to  Dr.  T.  H.  Law,  stated  Clerk  of  the  Assembly.  It  was  hoped 
it  would  not  be  necessary  to  send  Mrs.  Winsborough  to  the 
Assembly,  but  some  of  the  ablest  counselors  advised  it.  It 
proved  sound  wisdom.  There  was  anxiety  in  many  quarters 
lest  there  be  even  the  appearance  of  “lobbying,”  but  that  dread 
spectre  never  lifted  its  head.  There  was  instead,  a  modest, 
cultured  woman,  asking  no  hearing,  but  ready  to  answer  ques- 


56 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


tions  and  able  to  correct  misunderstandings.  The  Overture 
was  referred  to  the  Committee  on  Church  Societies,  of  which 
Dr.  J.  M.  Grier,  that  wise,  gentle,  thoughtful  gentleman,  was 
chairman.  He  requested  Mrs.  Winsborough  to  appear  before 
the  Committee.  Miss  Sala  Evans,  a  missionary  from  Japan, 
kept  her  company,  while  she  explained  fully  and  clearly  the 
whole  scope  and  purpose  of  the  women’s  appeal.  The  great 
and  needy  field  of  women’s  work,  the  promise  of  larger  fruit¬ 
fulness  through  unity  and  system,  proved  its  own  best  argu¬ 
ment.  The  committee  recommended  unanimously  that  the  Sec¬ 
retary  be  appointed. 

The  official  report  is  as  follows: 

“In  answer  to  Overtures  Nos.  23  and  25,  from  the  Pres¬ 
byteries  of  East  Hanover  and  Roanoke,  asking  that  an  ad- 
interim  committee  be  appointed  to  consider  the  whole  subject 
of  woman’s  work  in  the  church,  we  recommend  that  the  As¬ 
sembly  decline  to  appoint  such  a  committee  and  refer  the  peti¬ 
tioners  to  the  report  of  the  ad-interim  committee  appointed  by 
the  Assembly  in  1910,  which  was  adopted  by  the  Assembly  of 
1911.  (See  Minutes,  p.  67). 

“In  answer  to  Overtures  Nos.  18,  19  and  24,  from  the 
Presbyteries  of  Lexington,  Winchester  and  Mississippi,  asking 
that  a  Secretary  for  Woman’s  Work  be  not  appointed  and  Nos. 
16,  17,  20,  21  and  23,  from  the  Synodical  Unions  of  Missouri 
and  Virginia  and  four  other  Synodical  and  forty-one  Presbyte- 
rial  Unions,  endorsed  by  the  Synod  of  Missouri  and  from  the 
Presbyteries  of  Columbia,  Atlanta,  Knoxville,  and  Sewanee. 
asking  that  such  Secretary  be  appointed,  we  recommend  the 
following : 

“That  the  four  Executive  Committees  be  directed  to  select 
a  woman  possessing  suitable  gifts  who,  under  their  direction, 
shall  give  her  whole  time  to  the  work  of  organizing  our  women 
into  Synodical  and  Presbyterial  Unions  and  Local  Societies, 
under  control  of  Synods,  Presbyteries  and  Sessions,  respectively; 


BUILDING  THE  AUXILIARY 


57 


co-ordinating  Woman’s  and  Young  People’s  Societies  now  or¬ 
ganized;  stimulating  interest  by  gathering  and  disseminating 
needed  information  in  order  that  this  mighty  Auxiliary  in  our 
Church’s  life  and  growth  may  become  even  more  fruitful  of 
good  than  in  the  past.” 

J.  M.  Grier,  for  Committee. 
(Assembly’s  Min.,  1912,  p.  23.) 

On  May  20,  1912,  without  one  word  of  argument,  the 
Overture  was  unanimously  adopted!  It  was  a  day  of  great  re¬ 
joicing  and  praise  to  the  mighty  God  who  said,  “Before  they 
call  I  will  answer,  and  while  they  are  yet  speaking,  I  will 
hear.” 

The  Bristol  Assembly  opened  wide  the  door  of  opportunity 
and  the  door  of  responsibility  as  well.  The  work  was  really 
but  just  begun.  Organization  was  yet  to  be  effected.  From 
the  beginning  of  the  educational  campaign  prayer  and  diligent 
search  was  made  for  the  woman  equipped  with  the  necessary 
requirements  for  the  new  office.  Many  names  of  able  and  con¬ 
secrated  workers  were  suggested,  but  one  difficulty  or  another 
was  in  the  way  with  every  one.  With  the  entire  constituency 
to  be  educated  along  lines  of  new  and  untried  union,  with  more 
than  half  of  the  Synods  yet  unorganized,  the  work  in  both  field 
and  office  seemed  too  big  for  any  one  woman  without  experi¬ 
ence  to  assume.  Mrs.  Winsborough  in  her  nine  months  of 
effort  had  acquired  a  more  intimate  acquaintance  with  the  con¬ 
ditions,  the  problems  and  the  working  force,  both  in  societies 
and  churches  than  any  other  woman  in  the  South.  In  the  first 
critical  months  of  organization,  with  the  whole  policy  to  be  out¬ 
lined  and  put  into  execution,  it  was  evident  her  experience 
and  ability  would  be  indispensable  to  the  new  officer.  Miss 
Hanna  wrote  in  June  to  the  four  Executive  Secretaries  and 
to  the  Advisory  Committee,  suggesting  the  field  work  in  the 
early  stages  be  turned  over  to  Mrs.  Winsborough,  without  sal¬ 
ary,  so  that  she  might  continue  her  service  till  the  woman’s 


58 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


secretary  could  handle  the  entire  organization.  This  was  open 
to  the  serious  objection  of  making  two  heads,  one  for  office, 
and  one  for  field  work,  which  was  not  at  all  advisable.  Just 
at  this  crisis,  Dr.  Chas.  R.  Nesbit,  pastor  of  Central  Church. 
Kansas  City,  who  had  been  a  valued  counselor,  brought  assist¬ 
ance  and  cut  the  Gordian  knot  with  masculine  directness.  He 
urged  the  Advisory  Committee  to  nominate  Mrs.  Winsborough 
herself  for  the  office,  when  plans  were  submitted  to  the  Super¬ 
visory  Committee,  and  organization  was  completed.  He  also 
wired  the  suggestion  to  the  Executive  Secretaries  and  to  every 
member  of  the  Advisory  Committee.  The  request  for  her  had 
come  in  repeatedly  from  a  large  number  of  ministers  and 
women,  but  nothing  was  farther  from  her  thoughts.  With  her 
family  duties,  it  seemed '  impossible  to  carry  on  more  work. 
To  keep  the  office  in  Kansas  City  seemed  an  insuperable  obsta¬ 
cle.  But,  as  Dr.  Nesbit  said,  no  one  else  could  do  what  she 
could,  she  would  of  necessity  have  to  outline  and  direct  the 
work  during  the  first  months,  and  finally  it  was  not  right  for 
her  to  carry  the  responsibility  in  fact  and  not  in  name.  For 
nearly  three  hours  that  scorching  June  day,  Dr.  Nesbit  argued 
with  Mrs.  Winsborough  the  wisdom  of  the  step  and  finally  won 
a  reluctant  consent  from  her  to  let  her  name  be  proposed,  a 
result  which  was  joyfully  approved  by  the  Advisory  Committee. 

As  the  Supervisory  Committee  wished  to  know  the  desires 
and  plans  of  the  Woman’s  Committee  before  completing  formal 
organizations,  a  meeting  was  called  at  Montreat,  August  9th 
and  10th.  Mrs.  Winsborough  had  already  studied  out  a  definite 
and  detailed  outline  of  the  essential  points,  which  the  able  women 
of  the  committee  took  up  in  two  days  of  earnest  consideration. 
First  of  all,  of  course,  Mrs.  Winsborough  was  nominated  tc 
fill  the  office  created  by  the  General  Assembly.  As  the  title 
of  Secretary  had  never  been  satisfactory,  at  Mrs.  McMillan’s 
suggestion,  it  was  changed  to  Superintendent.  The  name 
Auxiliary  was  agreed  upon,  a  constitution,  a  financial  plan, 
and  many  other  perplexing  and  important  questions  considered 


BUILDING  THE  AUXILIARY 


59 


carefully.  Next  day  the  whole  matter  was  submitted  to  the 
secretaries  of  the  four  Executive  Committees  in  conference,  ap¬ 
proved  by  them,  and  the  Department  of  Woman’s  Work,  known 
officially  as  the  “Woman’s  Auxiliary  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church,  U.  ,S.,”  was  thus  formally  organized  August  10th,  1912 
The  much  criticized  “Woman’s  Secretary”  disappeared  forever. 
So  did  the  disputed  titles  of  “Union”  and  “Conference.”  At 
the  suggestion  of  the  Supervisory  Committee  the  Advisory  Com¬ 
mittee  became  the  Woman’s  Council. 

The  following  is  taken  from  The  Missionary  Survey  of 
September,  1912: 

“On  August  10,  1912,  at  Montreat,  N.  C.,  in  accordance 
with  instructions  of  the  General  Assembly,  the  Secretaries  of 
the  four  Executive  Committees  met  to  organize  a  Department 
of  Woman’s  Work. 

“Their  action  is  embodied  in  the  following  signed  report: 
“After  conference  with  official  representatives  of  the  Synod¬ 
ical  organizations  of  Alabama,  Georgia,  Kentucky,  South  Caro¬ 
lina,  North  Carolina,  Mississippi,  Missouri,  Texas  and  Vir- 

% 

ginia  and  workers  from  the  other  Synods,  the  Supervisory  Com¬ 
mittee  took  the  following  action: 

“(a)  The  official  designation  of  the  department  of  Woman’s 
Work  shall  be  the  Woman’s  Auxiliary  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church  in  the  United  States. 

“(b)  The  title  of  the  salaried  official  shall  be  Superin¬ 
tendent,  and  her  salary  shall  be  $1,200  per  year. 

“(c)  There  shall  be  an  advisory  committee  of  women 
known  as  the  Woman’s  Council,  to  be  constituted  as  follows: 

“One  representative  from  each  Synod  who  shall  be  the 
President  of  the  Synodical  Organization  where  such  organiza¬ 
tions  exist.  Where  there  is  no  Synodical  Organization,  the 
presidents  of  the  Presbyterial  Organizations  shall  select  the 
representative  for  the  Synod. 

“(d)  Temporary  headquarters  of  the  Woman’s  Auxiliary 
shall  be  in  Kansas  City,  Mo.,  and  Mrs.  W.  C.  Winsborough. 


60 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


of  Missouri,  is  hereby  elected  Superintendent  for  the  Church 
vear. 

“Note: — Mrs.  Winsborough,  by  reason  of  her  knowledge 
of  the  work  to  be  done,  was  the  unanimous  choice  of  the  Synodi¬ 
cal  representatives,  and  at  a  great  personal  sacrifice  has  con¬ 
sented  to  undertake  the  duties  of  Superintendent  during  the 
initial  stages  of  the  work). 

“(e)  Mrs.  A.  M.  Howison,  of  Staunton,  Va.,  is  hereby 
elected  Treasurer  of  the  Woman’s  Auxiliary  and  is  authorized 
to  collect  all  outstanding  subscriptions  and  all  necessary  funds 
for  the  current  expenses  of  the  work. 

“No  funds  for  the  benevolent  causes  of  the  Church  shall 
be  sent  to  the  Treasurer  of  the  Woman’s  Auxiliary.  All  such 
funds  should  be  sent  through  the  treasurer  of  the  local  church 
direct  to  the  treasurer  of  the  Executive  Agency  for  whom  the 
offering  is  intended. 

“The  following  resolutions  were  adopted  by  the  Supervis¬ 
ory  Committee: 

“1.  The  Women’s  Organizations  of  the  Church  are  re¬ 
quested  to  make  a  study  of  the  activities  and  needs  of  all 
the  benevolent  agencies  of  the  Assembly  and  to  make  offerings 
for  the  support  of  each  cause,  the  funds  to  be  divided  on  the 
basis  suggested  by  the  Assembly,  viz.:  Foreign  Missions,  sixty 
per  cent. ;  Assembly’s  Home  Missions,  twenty-one  per  cent. ; 
Christian  Education  and  Ministerial  Relief,  fourteen  per  cent.; 
Sabbath  School  Extension  and  Publication,  five  per  cent. 

“2.  The  members  of  the  Women’s  Organizations  of  the 
Church  are  urged  to  co-operate  in  the  effort  to  enlist  every 
member  of  every  church  in  the  support  of  the  benevolent  work 
of  the  Assembly  through  the  “Every  Member  Canvass,”  as 
recommended  by  the  General  Assembly,  and  their  co-operation 
is  asked  in  the  effort  to  arouse  a  deeper  interest  in  evangelistic 
work  throughout  the  Church. 

“Signed  by  E.  W.  Smith,  S.  L.  Morris,  H.  H.  Sweets,  R.  E. 
Magill,  Assembly’s  Supervisory  Committee.” 


BUILDING  THE  AUXILIARY 


61 


Mrs.  Winsborough  was  made  Chairman  of  the  Council, 
Mrs.  W.  C.  Fritter  secretary,  Mrs.  Howison,  Treasurer.  To 
carry  out  successfully  the  high  aims  of  the  Council,  demanded 
wisdom  to  plan  and  strength  to  execute,  as  well  as  a  large 

« 

vision  and  a  newT  standard  of  consecration.  Especially  ardu¬ 
ous  was  the  work  of  the  Treasurer.  To  finance  the  Auxiliary 
for  two  years,  as  proposed  by  the  women  themselves,  and 
promised  to  the  Bristol  Assembly,  was  a  most  difficult  task, 
and  one  to  which  Mrs.  Howison  gave  freely  ability  and  ser¬ 
vice  of  the  highest  order.  Not  quite  800  societies  re¬ 
sponded  the  first  year,  and  only  her  untiring  efforts  and 
the  assistance  of  the  Supervisory  Committee  made  it  possible 
to  support  the  Auxiliary  in  the  most  economical  manner,  the 
administration  costing  three-fifths  of  one  per  cent.  *  When 
the  Council  met  in  Atlanta,  May,  1913,  for  its  first  annual 
meeting,  there  was  only  seven  months’  work  to  report,  the  try¬ 
ing  work  incident  to  the  establishment  of  a  new  department, 
but  full  of  splendid  promise  and  encouragement. 

Only  those  who  were  in  “the  inner  circle”  know  the  agony 
of  heart  and  spirit  which  Mrs.  Winsborough  passed  through  in 
accepting  the  office  of  Superintendent.  The  care  of  her  family 
of  five  growing  children  made  the  proposition  seem  humanly 
impossible.  Coupled  with  this  was  the  embarrassing  aspect 
such  a  situation  produced.  It  was  fully  realized  that  those 
who  did  not  know  her,  in  all  of  her  unselfish  devotion,  would 
likely  misjudge  her  if  she  entertained  any  idea  of  the  office, 
even  if  it  were  thrust  upon  her,  as  it  was.  Then,  too,  it  was 
absolutely  impossible  for  her  to  move  away  from  Kansas  City 
at  that  time,  and  no  one  thought  the  work  could  be  done  from 
there.  The  urgency  of  the  call  and  the  agony  of  her  heart 
were  her  Gethsemane,  which  she  answered  with  all  submission 
“Thy  will  and  not  mine  be  done.” 

The  financing  of  the  movement  was  another  grievous 
proposition,  which  all  but  thwarted  the  work  in  the  very  begin¬ 
ning,  and  in  this  both  Miss  Hanna  and  Mrs.  Howison  agon- 


62 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


ized.  To  raise  money  for  an  absolutely  new  and  untried  move¬ 
ment  is  always  difficult,  but  for  one  without  a  name,  or  any 
machinery  of  organization  was  well  nigh  impossible.  The  ex¬ 
pense  of  bringing  the  issue  from  its  inception  to  its  passage  by 
General  Assembly  had  exhausted  all  the  funds  that  were  in 
ready  sight.  With  no  office  equipment  to  begin  with,  and  no 
office  in  which  to  put  the  furniture,  Mr.  Magill,  of  Richmond, 
and  Dr.  Nesbit,  of  Kansas  City,  supplied  a  desk  and  typewriter 
and  the  work  was  started  in  the  living  room  of  Mrs.  Wins- 
borough’s  home. 

The  struggle  and  the  sacrifice  of  the  beginnings  cannot  be 
described,  yet  they  were  lived  through  and  the  probationary  term 
was  passed  on  successfully  in  two  years,  that  the  Auxiliary  was 
accepted  by  General  Assembly  as  an  agency  of  the  Church 
“in  good  and  regular  standing.”  All  obligations  had  been  met; 
there  were  no  outstanding  debts.  Its  maintenance  was  then 
provided,  as  is  that  of  other  departments  of  the  work  of  the 
Church. 

During  the  second  year  of  the  Auxiliary,  Mrs.  Archibald 
Davis,  of  Atlanta,  was  made  Chairman  of  the  Council,  reliev¬ 
ing  Mrs.  Winsborough  of  her  double  duty.  Miss  McGowan, 
of  Kentucky,  was  made  Secretary  and  Mrs.  D.  A.  McMillan, 
of  Kansas  City,  Treasurer,  and  when  the  financial  budget  was 
assumed  by  General  Assembly,  these  officers  were  left  free  to 
use  their  time  and  thought  in  the  work  of  education  and  in¬ 
spiration. 

Within  two  years,  the  Executive  Secretaries  began  to  speak 
in  no  uncertain  way  of  the  value  of  the  Auxiliary  to  every  one 
of  their  offices.  A  letter,  dated  May,  1914,  from  Dr.  A.  L. 
Phillips,  General  Superintendent  of  Sabbath  School  and  Young 
People’s  Work,  states:  “Your  cordial  reference  to  the  poor, 
pitiful  service  that  I  have  rendered  the  Auxiliary  is  most 
thoroughly  appreciated.  Mr.  Magill  and  I  believe  in  the 
Auxiliary  with  all  our  hearts,  and  our  service  to  it  is  limited 


BUILDING  THE  AUXILIARY 


63 


only  by  the  pressure  of  other  matters.  I  want  to  give  Mr. 
Magill  the  palm  for  consistent  and  even  pushing  of  the  whole 
work.  I  think  the  Church  owes  him  a  great  debt  for  this  bit 
of  service.” 

With  the  work  well  started,  it  swept  like  a  whirlwind  all 
over  the  Southern  Church,  opposition  melted  away,  and  many 
of  those  who  thought  they  were  opposed  in  the  early  days,  be¬ 
came  the  warmest  supporters  as  the  appeal  was  made  to  every 
fwoman  in  the  Church  to  enlist  in  every  cause  of  the  Church. 
Its  value  as  a  quickening  agency  was  soon  demonstrated  and 
the  whole  Church  was  lifted  forward  as  on  the  crest  of  a  mighty 
wave.  In  1914  the  Auxiliary  office  was  moved  to  Atlanta,  Ga., 
where  it  remained  until  1918,  when  it  was  installed  in  St. 
Louis,  Mo. 

The  movement  was  clearly  of  God’s  own  Providence,  call¬ 
ing  forth  His  blessing  upon  the  work  and  the  workers  and 
was  sustained  by  the  promise  of  Jesus,  “And  I,  if  I  be  lifted 
up,  will  draw  all  men  unto  Me.”* 

*This  Chapter  is  an  adaptation  of  several  articles  written  by  Miss 
Jennie  Hanna. 


64 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

The  Builders  of  the  Auxiliary. 

Those  who  have  entered  into  the  building  of  the  Auxiliary 
and  have  brought  it  to  its  present  state  of  usefulness  and 
beauty  are  a  mighty  host.  Consecrated  and  earnest  women 
all  over  the  South  have  given  freely  and  lovingly  of  their 
time,  their  talents  and  their  money  to  promote  the  organiza¬ 
tion  which  promised  so  much  for  the  development  of  the  Chris¬ 
tian  woman  in  the  service  of  her  Lord. 

But  there  are  three  women  who  have  been  the  master 
builders  in  this  great  project,  planning  and  directing  and  bear¬ 
ing  heavy  responsibility,  these  are  Miss  Jennie  Hanna,  Mrs. 
D.  A.  McMillan  and  Mrs.  W.  C.  Winsborough. 

Miss  Jennie  Hanna. 

The  Southern  Presbyterian  Church  owes  much  to  those 
Scotch  and  Huguenot  forebears  who  “for  righteousness  sake” 
came  to  the  new  world  and  settled  in  Virginia  and  the  Caro- 
linas.  Later  many  of  their  children  moved  to  Kentucky  and 
their  stern  allegiance  to  duty,  their  unfaltering  faith  in  God 
form  a  rich  heritage  for  their  descendants  today.  Strong  of 
mind,  stern  of  will,  unswerving  in  loyalty  to  the  dictates  of 
conscience,  their  children  became  bulwarks  of  righteousness  in 
the  new  world. 

Such  was  the  heritage  of  Jennie  Hanna.  Her  father. 
Thomas  K.  Hanna  and  her  mother,  Judith  Joyce  Venable 
daughter  of  Dr.  Joseph  Morton  Venable,  were  related  to  the 
large  families  of  those  names  in  Kentucky,  and  came  from 
Shelby  County  in  that  state,  to  Missouri,  where  Jennie  Hanna 
was  born. 

Like  many  of  his  forebears,  Thomas  K.  Hanna  was  for 
many  years  a  ruling  elder  in  the  Presbyterian  Church,  Superin¬ 
tendent  of  the  Sunday  School  and  his  time  and  the  considerable 


BUILDERS  OF  THE  AUXILIARY 


65 


fortune  which  he  amassed  were  always  at  the  service  of  the 
Church  he  loved.  Mrs.  Hanna,  still  living  at  an  advanced  age 
is  a  woman  of  rare  sweetness  and  charm  and  their  spacious  and 
hospitable  dwelling  place  in  Kansas  City  has  been  a  home  in 
the  true  meaning  of  that  word. 


Mrs.  W.  C.  Winsborough,  Superintendent  Women’s 

Auxiliary. 


Inheriting  her  father’s  strong  character,  clear  brain  and 
unselfish  devotion,  Jennie  gave  freely  of  her  time  and  strength 
to  the  younger  children  of  the  family  as  well  as  to  the  work 
of  the  Church  in  which  she  had  been  reared  and  which  she 
loved  with  surpassing  devotion.  She  was  educated  in  the  best 
schools  of  that  period  and  even  more  largely  in  the  literary 
atmosphere  of  her  own  home. 


66 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


At  nineteen  years  of  age,  she  became  deeply  interested  in  a 
Sunday-school  class  of  young  girls  and  it  was  through  her  efforts 
to  train  them  in  missionary  service  that  the  vision  was  given 
to  her  of  all  the  women  of  the  Church  united  in  singleness  of 
purpose  to  take  the  gospel  to  every  creature.  How  this  resulted 
in  the  organization  of  the  Auxiliary  has  been  told  in  the  pre¬ 
vious  chapter. 

Miss  Hanna  possessed  a  training  in  system  and  thorough¬ 
ness  through  her  association  with  her  father,  which  proved 
invaluable  in  this  work.  Her  mental  powers,  her  gifted  pen 
and  her  consecrated  devotion  to  her  Master’s  Cause  would  have 
proven  invincible  but  for  one  sad  lack,  that  of  physical  strength. 

From  young  womanhood  she  has  been  a  constant  sufferej 
and  one  less  determined  and  optimistic  would  have  been  con¬ 
quered  by  the  continual  suffering  she  has  been  called  upon  to 
bear.  But  not  in  vain  was  she  of  sturdy  stock  and  her  Huguenot 
blood  has  been  shown  during  all  the  years  when  in  spite  of 
frequent  breakdowns,  continual  suffering  and  weakness,  she  has 
yet  labored  on  in  the  Master’s  Work. 

She  was  one  of  the  founders  and  first  Presidents  of  the 
Woman’s  Missionary  Society  of  Central  Church,  Kansas  City, 
which,  more  than  any  other  society  in  the  Southern  Presbyterian 
Church,  is  responsible  directly  and  indirectly  for  the  Woman’s 
Auxiliary  of  today.  She  introduced  Mission  Study  into  this 
Society  with  the  first  interdenominational  study  book  issued 
by  the  Central  Committee  of  United  Mission  Study,  and  con¬ 
tinued  it  for  years.  She  has  been  called  the  walking  encyclo¬ 
pedia  of  Mission  facts  and  few  know  the  literature  of  Missions 
as  does  she. 

In  1894,  she  was  largely  instrumental  in  organizing  the 
Woman’s  Presbyterian  Union  of  Kansas  City,  composed  of  all 
the  Presbyterian  Churches  of  Kansas  City  and  vicinity,  some 
thirty  in  number,  and  for  years  was  the  Secretary  of  Litera¬ 
ture  of  that  organization  which  still  holds  large  semi-annual 
meetings. 


BUILDERS  OE  THE  AUXILIARY 


67 


It  seems  the  irony  of  fate  that  only  once  in  all  these  years 
has  this  faithful,  far  seeing  and  God-given  leader  been  able 
to  meet  with  the  women  of  the  Church  at  large,  which  she  has 
served  so  faithfully.  Her  health  has  never  been  equal  to  a 
visit  to  Montreat  or  to  the  Woman’s  Advisory  Committee.  Al¬ 
though  Mohammet  has  never  been  able  to  go  to  the  Mountain. 


Mrs.  D.  A.  McMillan,  Treasurer  Woman’s  Auxiliary 

since  1913. 


one  memorable  time  the  Mountain  came  to  Mohammet!  In 
May,  1914,  the  Woman’s  Advisory  Committee,  then  the 
Woman’s  Council,  met  in  Kansas  City  and  Miss  Hanna  was 
the  honored  guest  of  those  representatives  of  the  organization 
she  had  helped  to  build. 

At  that  meeting  she  read  a  carefully  prepared  history  of 
the  organization  of  the  Auxiliary,  which  was  afterwards  printed 


6$ 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


and  for  eight  years  has  been  circulated  throughout  the  Church. 

No  one  present  at  that  meeting  will  forget  the  scene  when 
as  she  gazed  into  the  faces  of  the  sixteen  Synodical  Presi¬ 
dents,  representing  the  efficient  organization  of  the  women  of 
the  Church,  she  said:  “Now  lettest  thou  thy  servant  depart  in 
peace.” 

On  the  tenth  anniversary  of  the  Bristol  Assembly,  which 
gave  its  approval  to  the  erection  of  the  Woman’s  Auxiliary, 
that  body  was  in  session  at  Charleston,  W.  Va.  By  a  ris¬ 
ing  vote,  the  Assembly  expressed  to  Miss  Jennie  Hanna  the 
appreciation  of  the  Southern  Presbyterian  Assembly  for  her 
service  in  promoting  the  organization  of  the  women  of  the 
Church. 

Small  of  frame,  yet  big  of  heart,  frail  of  body,  yet  strong 
in  faith,  it  may  well  be  said  of  this  handmaiden  of  the  Master — 
“Many  have  done  well,  but  thou  excellest  them  all.” 

Mrs.  W.  C.  Winsborough 

“Moses  was  God’s  outstanding  man  for  his  needy  age 
God  always  raises  up  the  man  (or  woman)  for  the  emerg¬ 
ency.”  No  words  could  more  fittingly  open  this  sketch.  After 
the  Bristol  Assembly  had  granted  a  Woman  Superintendent 
and  the  search  for  her  began,  every  statement  of  her  necessary 
qualifications  brought  back  the  question,  “Where  will  you  find 
such  a  woman?  You  have  described  an  ideal — you  must  use 
a  woman  with  ordinary  limitations.”  We  forgot,  perhaps,  “the 
superintending  power  of  God  in  missions”  and  His  pleasure 
in  giving  big  answers  to  confident  askers.  While  our  Church 
was  learning  slowly  the  scope  and  power  of  women’s  organi¬ 
zations  among  world-wide  redemptive  forces,  God  was  pre¬ 
paring  the  first  leaders.  One  of  these  was  Hallie  Paxson 
Winsborough. 

Her  grandfather,  Stephen  Paxson,  was  one  of  the  pioneer 
Sunday  School  missionaries  of  the  Mississippi  Valley  in  the 
days  when  frontier  life  involved  genuine  hardship.  It  re- 


BUILDERS  OF  THE  AUXILIARY 


69 


quired  heroic  service  and  devotion  to  encounter  wilderness, 
wild  beasts,  want,  Indians,  malaria  and  moral  destitution. 
The  whole  Middle  West  felt  his  influence  through  the  churches 
built  upon  the  Sunday  Schools  which  he  founded.  His  resting 
place  in  Bellefontaine  Cemetery  is  marked  by  a  beautiful  granite 
monument  erected  by  the  Sunday  School  children  of  Illinois 


Mrs.  A.  M.  Howison,  First  Treasurer  Woman’s 

Auxiliary. 


and  Missouri.  He  was  a  man  of  commanding  presence,  mag¬ 
netic  speech,  force  and  spiritual  power.  His  dominant  qualities 
of  courage,  self-sacrifice  and  hopefulness,  combined  with  the 
simplicity  of  a  strong  character  still  live  in  his  grand¬ 
daughter.  Of  his  six  children  two  were  writers,  one  an  elder, 
two  were  ministers  in  the  Southern  Presbyterian  Church,  one  a 
missionary.  The  last,  Miss  Anna  L.  Paxson,  had  charge  of 
our  Home  Mission  .School  at  Chish  Ok  Tok,  Indian  Territory. 


70 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


She  was  a  noble  woman  whom  the  Indians  both  trusted  and 
loved. 

The  Rev.  W.  P.  Paxson,  D.  D.,  the  father  of  Mrs.  Wins- 
borough,  was  born  in  Alabama,  a  loyal  Southerner  and  for 
thirty-five  years  a  member  of  St.  Louis  Presbytery.  He  gave 
his  whole  life  to  Sunday  School  work  as  Superintendent  of 
the  American  Sunday  School  Union  for  the  Southwestern  States. 
He  was  notably  successful  whether  planting  schools  in  the 
Home  Mission  fields  of  the  West  or  raising  funds  for  their 
support  in  the  East.  He  married  Miss  Missouri  Swing,  of 
Mason  City,  Ill.,  who  was  a  woman  of  strong  mentality,  deep 
consecration  and  fearless  courage  in'  following  her  convictions. 
She  was  one  of  the  early  “Crusaders,”  the  forerunners  of  the 
W.  C.  T.  U.  She  died  when  her  daughter  was  but  fifteen,  but 
not  too  soon  to  leave  a  lasting  impress  on  her  character. 

To  a  rich  inheritance  and  in  a  missionary  atmosphere, 
Hallie  Paxson  was  born  at  the  home  of  her  grandfather  Swing 
At  the  age  of  six  months  she  came  to  Missouri  and  her  child¬ 
hood  was  spent  in  Louisiana,  St.  Charles  and  St.  Louis.  It  is 
significant  of  the  home  and  the  child  that  at  ten  years  old  she 
organized  a  little  missionary  band,  whose  free  will  offerings  in 
dimes  reached  a  substantial  sum.  At  the  same  time  she  con¬ 
ducted  a  small  Sunday  School  in  her  home,  furnished  with 
lesson  papers  and  leaflets  from  her  father’s  supply,  which  was 
very  like  the  real  thing,  even  though  they  did  close  the  sessions 
with  “Now  I  lay  me  down  to  sleep.”  She  was  educated  in  the 
High  School  of  St.  Louis  and  at  Synodical  College  at  Fulton, 
Missouri,  where  she  was  valedictorian  of  her  class,  afterward 
teaching  in  the  public  schools  of  Kansas  City.  In  June,  1888, 
in  Springfield,  Mo.,  she  was  married  to  Mr.  W.  C.  Wins- 
borough,  who  had  come  to  Kansas  City  from  Rockingham 
County,  Virginia.  He  was  educated  in  the  universities  both 
of  Virginia  and  Missouri,  finishing  with  the  law  course  of  the 
University  of  Virginia.  They  made  their  first  home  in  De- 


BUILDERS  OF  THE  AUXILIARY 


71 


catur,  Alabama,  but,  driven  out  by  yellow  fever,  returned  to 
Kansas  City  and  United  with  Central  Presbyterian  Church. 

The  years  when  her  hands  and  heart  were  full  with  the  care 
of  their  six  children  were,  nevertheless,  a  time  of  growing 
intellectual  and  spiritual  life,  a  time  of  great  enrichment  of  the 
‘‘fallow  soil."  When  she  was  a  little  free  for  other  service  she 
made,  in  1907,  for  the  Woman’s  Missionary7  Society  of  which 
she  was  an  officer,  an  investigation  of  conditions  among  the 
foreign  population  of  Kansas  City,  giving  it  a  year  of  thorough 
personal  study.  Out  of  this  grew  both  the  Slavic  Mission  of 
the  Presbyterian  Church,  U.  S.  A.,  and  our  own  splendid 
Italian  Mission,  founded  July,  1908.  To  Mrs.  Winsborough’s 
timely  effort  is  due  the  organization  of  this  most  successful 
Italian  work  in  our  denomination.  She  resigned  the  Chair¬ 
manship  of  the  Slavic  Committee  to  take  the  Chairmanship  of 
the  Italian  Committee,  which  she  held  until  elected  Superin 
tendent  of  the  Woman's  Auxiliary. 

It  was  but  a  step  from  local  to  world-wide  Missions.  In 
1910  the  Woman's  Jubilee  made  so  emphatic  the  need  of  gen¬ 
eral  organization  among  the  Southern  Presbvterian  women  that 
she  turned  her  energies  toward  attaining  that  great  end.  As 
always,  she  acted  upon  her  personal  convictions.  She  did  not 
even  know  until  after  the  first  steps  toward  establishing  the 
Auxiliary  had  been  taken,  that  the  one  who  was  to  be  her  co¬ 
laborer  in  the  campaign  had  made  the  small  beginnings  of 
twenty-five  years  earlier.  She  acted  entirely  upon  her  own 
initiative.  When  the  Assembly  approved  the  organization  of 
the  Auxiliary'  and  the  appointment  of  the  Superintendent, 
everyone  felt  that  Mrs.  Winsborough's  experience,  her  able 
leadership  and  her  knowledge  of  all  the  conditions  made  it 
imperative  for  her  to  direct  the  critical  formative  stages,  but 
only  the  most  earnest  urging  won  her  consent  to  take  temporarily 
the  office  of  Superintendent.  At  this  date,  May7,  1923,  the 
wisdom  of  the  choice  which  made  the  office  permanent  is  past 
history.  It  involved  sacrifice,  moving  her  home  to  Atlanta, 


72 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


changing  her  whole  life,  yet  she  gave  generously  and  went 
out  like  Abraham,  not  knowing  whither  she  went — possibly  a 
happy  ignorance !  Her  habit  of  thinking  and  investigating 
for  herself,  her  capacity  for  hard  work,  her  courage  and  hope¬ 
fulness,  her  saving  sense  of  humor,  her  gracious  tact  and 
courtesy,  her  quick  intellectual  grasp  of  all  sides  of  a  subject, 
her  executive  ability,  her  loyalty  to  Presbyterial  Standards  and 
above  all,  her  emphasis  upon  the  spiritual  have  combined  to 
produce  an  unusually  successful  administration. 

The  visits  of  Mrs.  Winsborough  to  our  Mission  Stations  in 
China,  Japan,  Korea  and  Mexico,  have  brought  new  hope  and 
comfort  to  our  missionaries  on  the  field  and  a  new  view  of  the 
fields  to  the  women  at  home. 

She  has  been  honored — and  through  her  our  entire  Woman’s 
Work — by  appointment  to  many  interdenominational  positions. 
She  has  been  for  years  a  Vice-President  of  the  Council  of 
Women  for  Home  Missions.  She  was  one  of  five  women  ap 
pointed  on  the  “Commission  on  Woman’s  Work”  for  the 
Panama  Conference,  and  is  a  member  of  the  “Committee  on 
Race  Relations”  of  the  Federal  Council  of  Churches  of  Christ 
in  America. 

A  quotation  from  one  of  the  Virginia  women  rounds  out 
this  outline — “Mrs.  Winsborough,  that  woman  of  dynamic 
power,  who  is  giving  all  of  her  brilliant  mentality,  her  charm¬ 
ing  womanhood,  her  great  devotion  to  the  women  of  the  South¬ 
ern  Presbyterian, Church — pray  to  God  that  He  will  give  her 
long  years  and  great  strength  as  our  leader.” 

Mrs.  D .  A.  McMillan. 

The  Synodical  of  Missouri  was  organized  with  some  fear 
in  the  minds  of  even  its  friends  that  the  time  might  not  be  ripe 
for  its  auspicious  beginning.  When,  at  its  first  annual  meet¬ 
ing  in  1911,  the  President  announced  her  resignation  because 
of  removal  from  the  State,  all  realized  that  the  very  life  of  the 


BUILDERS  OF  THE  AUXILIARY 


73 


organization  depended  upon  the  selection  of  the  right  woman  to 
succeed  her  as  leader  of  the  State  work. 

After  earnest  prayer  and  careful  consideration,  Mrs.  D.  A. 
McMillan  was  elected  to  this  important  and  difficult  position, 
and  her  wise  guidance  of  the  Synodical  forces  and  her  states¬ 
manlike  leadership  later  in  the  formative  days  of  the  General 
Auxiliary  proved  that  prayer  had  been  answered  and  the  right 
woman  chosen  as  President  of  the  Synodical  of  Missouri. 

Elizabeth  Talbott  McMillan,  third  daughter  of  Dr.  Rich¬ 
ard  H.  Talbot,  was  born  in  Lincoln  County,  Missouri,  and 
from  early  girlhood  was  actively  interested  in  Sunday-school 
and  church  work.  She  was  educated  in  St.  Louis  and  Mexico, 
Missouri,  where  she  graduated  with  the  honors  of  her  class. 

While  a  teacher  in  the  public  schools  of  Mexico,  she 
became  prominent  in  civic  and  club  work,  continuing  her  activi¬ 
ties  along  these  lines,  after  her  marriage  to  Daniel  Addison  Mc¬ 
Millan,  Superintendent  of  the  City  Public  Schools.  During 
her  term  of  office  as  President  of  the  Federated  Clubs  of  the 
city,  she  led  a  movement  resulting  in  the  founding  of  the  Car¬ 
negie  Library  of  Mexico,  and  substantially  enlarging  the  Library 
of  the  Public  Schools  of  the  city  and  of  Hardin  College. 

Her  ability  as  a  leader  and  her  intellectual  gifts  as  well 
as  her  beautiful  sincerity  of  character  caused  her  to  be  chosen 
to  fill  positions  of  large  trust.  She  was  one  of  two  women  on 
the  Board  of  the  Associated  Charities  of  Mexico,  which  was 
one  of  the  first  of  these  organizations  to  employ  a  salaried 
worker  to  look  after  the  charity  work  of  the  city. 

These  years  of  civic  leadership  proved  an  invaluable  train¬ 
ing  for  the  work  of  Synodical  President.  Feeling  keenly  in  her 
church  work  the  lack  of  organization  she  had  found  in  other 
fields  of  service,  she  was  ready  to  promote  the  cause  of  better 
organization  in  the  Woman’s  Work  of  the  Church,  and  gave 
herself  untiringly  to  its  promotion. 

Immediately  on  the  receipt  of  the  now  historic  paper. 


74 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


‘  Some  Reasons  Why  a  Secretary  of  Woman’s  Work  is  Needed 
in  the  Southern  Presbyterian  Church,”  she  set  vigorously  to 
work  to  secure  the  approval  of  the  paper  from  the  other  five 
.  Synodicals  then  in  existence,  and  from  the  Synod  of  Missouri. 
The  story  of  her  success  is  told  in  the  chapter,  “The  Building 
of  the  Auxiliary.”  Mrs.  McMillan  served  two  terms  as  Presi¬ 
dent  of  the  Synodical  of  Missouri,  refusing  re-election  the  third 
time,  because  of  the  duties  which  she  had  assumed  as  Treas¬ 
urer  of  the  Woman’s  Auxiliary. 

Mrs.  McMillan  was  elected  Treasurer  of  the  Woman’s 
Auxiliary  in  May,  1913,  and  for  eleven  years  has  discharged 
the  work  of  this  taxing  position  in  a  systematic  and  thour- 
oughly  business-like  way.  During  the  birthday  celebra¬ 
tion  of  1922,  the  Treasurer,  in  addition  to  her  regular  work, 
handled  more  than  twenty-seven  thousand  dollars,  most  of  it 
coming  in  in  small  amounts,  discharging  this  arduous  task 
through  her  own  personal  efforts  without  other  assistance,  and 
rendering  a  full  account  of  every  penny  received,  to  the  donors 
and  to  the  Committee  for  whose  use  it  was  given. 

Loyal  to  the  plan  of  organization  given  by  the  General 
Assembly  for  the  women  of  our  Church,  giving  freely  of  her 
time  and  ability  in  service  to  the  organization,  the  result  of 
Mrs.  McMillan’s  labors  for  the  advancement  of  the  Master’s 
Cause  through  the  Woman’s  Work  of  the  Church  cannot  be 
'too  highly  estimated. 


RESULTS  OF  THE  AUXILIARY 


75 


CHAPTER  IX. 

The  Results  of  the  Auxiliary. 

The  first  decade  in  the  history  of  the  Woman's  Auxiliary 
has  been  passed  and  in  that  time  the  record  of  its  work  has 
proved  it  to  be  of  increasing  value  to  the  women  themselves, 
to  the  Church  in  all  of  its  departments  and  to  the  advance¬ 
ment  of  Christ's  Kingdom  upon  earth. 

The  results  of  the  Auxiliary  are  especially  those  of  Organi¬ 
zation,  Education  and  Spiritual  Growth. 

1.  Organization,  a.  Within  the  first  year  of  the  Auxili¬ 
ary,  societies  in  every  Presbvterv  and  Svnod  were  organized 
into  Presbyterial  and  Synodical  Auxiliaries,  with  the  definite 
aim  of  implanting  in  every  church  within  their  bounds  a  local 
Auxiliary,  composed  of  all  the  women  in  the  church,  study¬ 
ing  and  working  for  all  the  causes  of  the  Church.  The  uni- 
form  type  of  organization  called  for  has  everywhere  developed 
order  and  system  and  has  trained  women  for  leadership  and 
special  sendee.  After  ten  years  there  are  still  a  fe* T  reJics  of  the 
old  time  ’’Ladies  Aid"  and  “Missionary  Societies,"  but  it  is 
safe  to  predict  that  at  the  close  of  another  decade  those  terms 
will  have  become  obsolete. 

b.  Five  years  ago  the  Auxiliary-Circle  plan  of  organiza¬ 
tion  was  inaugurated  and  put  into  successful  operation.  This 
has  proved  to  be  the  most  efficient  plan  ever  devised  by  women 
of  any  denomination  for  enlisting  the  efforts  of  the  young  and 
the  old,  the  interested  and  disinterested  and  of  the  shut-in.  It 
is  capable  of  adaptation  to  the  city  church,  the  suburban  and 
small  town  church,  and  to  the  struggling  country  church,  and 
is  meeting  with  pronounced  success. 

As  a  resuh  of  the  Auxiliary  organization,  the  number  of 
women  enlisted  m  the  work  of  the  Church  has  jumped  from 
sixty  thousand  to  one  hundred  thousand. 

2.  Education.  Probably  there  has  never  been  a  greater 


76 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


educational  force  in  the  Church  than  the  Auxiliary.  This  has 
been  brought  about: 

a.  By  the  constant  insistance  upon  Mission  Study  Classes 
with  valuable  information  and  helps  for  conducting  them.  From 
15,000  to  20,000  text  books  are  now  in  use  every  year,  while  in 
former  days  a  circulation  of  300  was  regarded  as  encouraging. 

b.  By  the  use  of  the  Year  Book  of  Programs,  presenting 
uniform  monthly  study  for  all  departments  of  the  work  of  the 
Church.  Thirty  thousand  were  circulated  during  the  past  year. 

c.  Through  the  Auxiliary  Department  in  The  Missionary 
Survey  and  Church  papers. 

d.  Through  Conferences — Texas  on  the  West,  Virginia  on 
the  East  and  Montreat  in  the  heart  of  the  church,  maintain 
Summer  Schools  of  Missions,  where  women  gather  to  study  the 
Bible,  Missions:  and  Methods,  and  to  hear  inspiring  addresses. 

e.  Through  Conferences  for  Young  People — The  women 
have  been  largely  instrumental  in  launching  these  conferences 
and  they  are  in  most  cases  directed  by  joint  committees  ap¬ 
pointed  by  Synod  and  Synodical.  Seventeen  will  be  held  this 
year,  (1923),  one  in  each  state  and  one  at  Montreat.  This  is 
considered  by  many  to  be  the  most  strategic  movement  of  our 
Church  in  the  last  five  years. 

f.  Through  Conferences  for  Colored  Women — Realizing 
the  responsibility  of  the  white  woman  for  the  training  of  her 
colored  sisters  in  Christian  principles  of  life  and  service,  the 
first  conference  for  colored  women  was  inaugurated  at  Tusca- 

i _ / 

loosa,  Alabama,  in  1916.  In  1922,  two  more  were  started  and 
in  1923,  conferences  are  to  be  held  in  seven  states — Alabama, 
Georgia,  Kentucky,  Louisiana,  North  Carolina,  Texas,  and 
Virginia. 

g.  Through  Parallel  Conventions — In  connection  with  the 
meetings  of  the  Laymen’s  Missionary  Movement,  parallel  con¬ 
ventions  of  the  women  have  been  held,  the  first  one  in  Atlanta, 
in  1919.  Six  were  held  in  1921,  and  six  in  1923,  with  a  total 
attendance  of  1,750  women. 


RESULTS  OF  THE  AUXILIARY 


77 


3.  Spiritual  Growth,  a.  Of  deepest  value  and  significance 
is  the  constantly  increasing  realization  of  the  power  of  prayer 
in  personal  and  family  life  and  in  promoting  the  work  of 
the  Kingdom.  This  has  been  earnestly  developed  through  the 
forming  of  Prayer  Bands  and  classes  for  Bible  Study  and 
through  emphasis  on  the  Family  Altar. 

b.  In  order  to  emphasize  and  bring  into  practice  the 
fundamentals  of  the  Progressive  Program,  a  Standard  of  Ex¬ 
cellence  has  been  formed  and  is  being  striven  for,  which  em¬ 
bodies  the  highest  Christian  ideals. 

4.  Specials.  The  purpose  of  the  Auxiliary  has  always 
been  the  uniform  and  consistent  support  of  all  the  regularly 
established  activities  of  the  Church.  In  addition  there  have 
been  some  special  objectives.  In  1921,  a  dormitory  was  built 
for  colored  girls,  in  connection  with  Stillman  Institute.  In 
1922,  as  a  result  of  the  tenth  birthday  celebration  of  the  Auxili¬ 
ary,  funds  were  provided  for  the  rebuilding  of  Miss  Dowd’s 
school  in  Japan.  For  1923,  there  is  the  aim  of  a  school  for 
Mexican  girls  in  Texas,  $25,000  to  be  contributed  by  the 
Synodical  of  Texas,  and  a  like  sum  by  all  of  the  other  Synodi- 
cals  combined. 

5.  Interdenominational— The  Auxiliary  maintains  member¬ 
ship  and  participation  in  the  Council  of  Women  for  Home 
Missions  and  in  the  Federation  of  Women’s  Boards  for  Foreign 
Missions,  as  well  as  in  the  Inter-racial  Commission. 

The  most  signal  testimony  of  the  value  of  the  Auxiliary 
was  given  by  the  General  Assembly  at  Montreat,  May,  1923. 
This  was  in  response  to  an  overture  from  the  Presbytery  of 
St.  John’s,  Florida,  asking  that  at  least  one  woman  be  placed 
on  each  of  the  Executive  Committees  of  the  General  Assembly. 
Both  a  majority  and  a  minority  report  on  this  overture  was 
presented,  the  former  in  opposition  and  the  latter  in  its  favor. 
After  earnest  debate  the  minority  report  in  favor  of  the  over¬ 
ture  was  adopted  with  a  vote  of  140  to  49.  Later  a  protest 


78 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


to  this  action  was  made  by  forty-one  Commissioners,  to  which 
the  following  reply  was  made: 

Response  to  Protest. 

“The  General  Assembly  is  in  entire  harmony  with  the  great 
principles  which  are  expressed  in  the  protest,  but  there  is 
nothing  in  the  Word  of  God  nor  in  the  government  of  our 
Church  to  prevent  the  Assembly  appointing  private  members, 
male  and  female,  upon  its  Executive  Committees,  and  the  action 
protested  against  was  taken  in  order  to  recognize  in  this  way 
the  Woman’s  Auxiliary  in  its  loyal  and  faithful  work. 

Russell  Cecil, 

E.  W.  McCorkle, 

S.  F.  Hobbs/’ 

“Resolution  Adopted  Regarding  Appointment  of  Women  on 

Executive  Committees. 

“Resolved,  That  every  Executive  Committee  of  the  General 
Assembly  be,  and  they  are  hereby  instructed  to  promptly  select 
and  add  to  their  membership  three  women,  one  of  each  class, 
which  number  shall  not  be  exceeded  in  any  event.” 

Thus  a  new  door  of  service  has  been  opened  to  women. 

•  The  results  of  these  years  show  to  a  marked  degree  the 
power  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  without  which  neither  administrative 
ability,  nor  perfected  organization  would  have  availed  any¬ 
thing,  and  to  Him  be  all  the  honor,  and  the  praise  and  the 
thanksgiving,  with  a  prayer  for  continued  guidance,  strength 
and  steadfastness  of  purpose. 


MISSIONARY  LITERATURE 


79 


CHAPTER  X. 

Missionary  Literature. 

Its  Bearing  on  Women's  Activities. 

Although  we  have  the  same  old  missionary  text  book  of 
the  early  church,  the  only  one  they  ever  had  and  the  best  ever 
written,  yet  its  teachings  have  been  slowly  apprehended,  else, 
there  would  have  been,  not  only  more  Pauls,  but  more  Try- 
phenas  and  Tryphosas  for  the  home  field  and  more  Phoebes 
tor  the  foreign.  (See  last  chapter  of  Romans.) 

So  whilst  we  do  not  minimize  the  influence  of  present  day 
literature,  yet  we  would  magnify  the  power  which  led  out 
that  “great  host”  of  women  of  whom  Paul  speaks,  and  the 
same  which  led  into  the  field  our  own  pioneers.  “Not  by 
might,  nor  by  power,  but  by  My  spirit  saith  the  Lord.” 

Therefore  we  do  honor  to  our  early  missionaries,  who 
literally  stepped  forward  alone  on  the  bridge  of  faith.  It’s 
not  the  history  of  literary  progress,  but  of  its  bearing  upon 
our  progress,  these  lines  must  speak.  As  missionary  societies 
began  to  make  programs  the  need  of  information  was  keenly 
felt,  and  this  stimulated  literary  efforts. 

EARLY  EQUIPMENT. 

The  up-to-date  president  of  a  missionary  society,  even  of 
the  early  eighties  could  not  go  beyond  her  church  magazine 
and  the  precious  leaflets  which  were  emerging  from  the  then 
brand  new  Women’s  Boards,  and  that  very  eye  opening,  “Gospel 
In  All  Lands,”  which  was,  as  a  well  of  water  to  a  weary 
soul  thirsting  to  give  her  society  current  events  beyond  the 
horizon  of  her  own  church.  (The  first  leaflet  published  by 
the  U.  S.  A.  Presbyterian  Board  was  in  1872.)  The  women 
always  sought  eagerly  the  woman’s  leaflets  and  magazines  be¬ 
cause  they  answered  women’s  needs  in  the  conduct  of  our  work. 

Method,  methods,  was  the  cry,  for  the  pen  of  a  Belle 


80 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


M.  Brain  or  a  Mrs.  Cronk  had  not  been  unsheathed.  Even 
the  pens  which  were  at  work  were  little  known  for  want 
of  systematic  channels  to  reach  those  in  need. 

MISSION  STUDY. 

Mission  Study  took  wonderful  hold  upon  women  after 
1900.  God  had  been  preparing  us  again  for  another  advance 
step. 

At  the  Ecumenical  Conference,  held  in  New  York,  in  190Q 
a  plan  of  uniform  Mission  Study  was  proposed  by  Miss  Abbie 
Childs.  It  met  with  ready  response  and  a  committee  was  ap¬ 
pointed  at  once  to  plan  for  a  series  of  mission  text  books,  be- 
genning  with  “Rex.  Christus”  for  the  first  year.  This  has 
been  followed  by  scores  of  new  books,  the  study  of  which  has 
developed  women  until  we  fear  the  Pauline  injunction.  “Ask 
your  husbands  at  home”  would  now  fall  on  heedless  ears. 

SOUTHERN  PRESBYTERIAN  LITERATURE. 

Our  own  Southern  Presbvterian  women  have  contributed 
liberally  with  their  pens.  Of  these  we  note  the  graceful  pens 
of  our  oldest  living  missionaries  today,  Miss  Charlotte  Kemper, 
of  Brazil  and  Mrs.  J.  L.  Stuart,  of  China;  the  strong  pen  of  one 
so  recently  passed  away,  Mrs.  Sydenstricker,  of  China;  the  facile 
pens  of  Mrs.  Swineheart,  of  Korea,  Mrs.  Sevier  and  others. 
Also  our  Mission  Study  book,  “Day  in  and  Day  Out  in  Korea,” 
by  Mrs.  J.  S.  Nisbett,  who  wrote  under  such  fearful  physical 
handicap,  yet  evolved  an  inspiring  record  of  Korean  faith,  ex¬ 
celled  by  none.  The  fifth  chapter  of  that  book  reminds  one  of 
11th  of  Hebrews,  in  its  song  of  triumph.  Mrs.  Erickson,  of 
Japan,  has  just  written  a  very  delightful  study  of  that  country. 

Not  only  have  our  foreign  missionaries  contributed  lib¬ 
erally,  but  at  home  we  sit  under  the  spell  of  many  graceful 
writers.  Mrs.  Alethea  T.  Cobb’s  versatility  shines  on  various 
subjects;  Mrs.  Belle  McCallum  Gibbons  thrills  us  with  stories 


MISSIONARY  LITERATURE 


81 


of  Indian  Missions;  Miss  Eleanora  Berry  and  Miss  Nancy 
White,  wield  facile  pens;  Miss  Elizabeth  Shields  and  Miss 
Carrie  L.  Campbell,  Miss  Sarah  Lee  Vinson,  Miss  Anne  H. 
Rcmkin,  Miss  Mildred  Welch,  Miss  Anna  Binford,  Miss  Julia 
Lake  .Skinner,  Miss  Eva  M.  Cavers,  and  Miss  Mary  Wiley,  have 
all  made  us  their  debtors  through  their  gifted  pens. 

So  we  find  that  missionary  effort  and  literary  activity  have 
reacted  one  upon  another,  educating  and  expending  the  intel¬ 
lect,  enriching  and  deepening  spirituality  until  we  seem  to 
have  merited  such  a  tribute  as  this  from  “Men  and  Missions,” 
page  253. 

“We  will  remember  in  wholesome  humility,  that  what  we 
are  now  discovering  concerning  the  big  world’s  call,  moth¬ 
ers  and  wives  and  sisters  knew  long  ago.  With  all  their 
organization  the  laymen  yet  lag  behind  the  women  in  mis¬ 
sionary  knowledge,  gifts  and  devotion.” 

To  this  we  reply  in  no  exultant  mood,  but  earnestly  we 
beckon  you  onward,  our  fellow  workers,  in  the  upward  climb; 
we  both  have  a  long  reach  ahead  of  us  before  our  eyes  behold 
the  millennial  dawn,  but  upon  us  the  Kingdom  waits  and 
must  wait  until  the  missionary  spirit  becomes  universal. 

And  in  this  day  so  full  of  liberal  teachings,  let  us  clasp 
closer  to  our  breasts  the  Book  that  crowns  all  literature,  the 
Supernatural  Gospel  which,  alone,  can  accomplish  the  super¬ 
natural  task. 

The  church  for  nearly  a  century  had  no  missionary  litera¬ 
ture.  Outside  of  Acts  of  Apostles  it  still  had  none  even  three 
centuries  after  the  printing  press.  “Some  who  are  yet  living” 
(said  A.  T.  Pierson,  in  1893)  “remember  when  the  Evangelical 
Magazine  promised  a  page  of  Missionary  intelligence  as  soon 
as  enough  matter  could  be  found  to  fill  it.” 

Today  our  hymn  books  abound  in  Mission  hymns,  maga¬ 
zines  and  reviews  throng  our  mails  and  secular,  as  well  as 
religious,  newspapers  devote  columns  to  the  subject.  We  have 
chairs  in  colleges  and  seminaries;  missionary  training  schools — 


82 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


see  our  own  in  Richmond,  Va. — and  lectureships  in  which 
women  are  both  teachers  and  pupils.  The  busiest  officer,  next 
to  the  President,  in  a  local  auxiliary,  is  the  wide  awake  Secre¬ 
tary  of  Literature.  And  the  monthly  meeting  is  without  ex¬ 
cuse  that  fails  to  offer  us  fresh  material  free  of  charge, 


ALABAMA 


83 


ALABAMA 


84 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


Mrs.  Sarah  Pratt  Lapsley,  an  ardent  mission 
worker  and  the  Mother  of  a  great  Missionary. 


ALABAMA 


85 


ALABAMA 

BEGINNINGS  OF  MISSIONS  IN  THE  MOBILE 

DISTRICT. 

More  than  two  centuries  ago,  the  Jesuit  Fathers  set  up  the 
cross  in  Old  Mobile,  and  extended  their  labors  throughout  the 
French  province  of  Louisiana.  They  acquired  and  maintained 
undisputed  sway  over  the  minds  and  hearts  of  the  colonists, 
until  1819,  when  Mobile  District,  as  it  was  called,  passed  under 
the  Stars  and  Stripes. 

The  first  Protestant  preacher  in  Mobile,  was  one  Rev. 
John  Warren,  who,  with  his  wife,  a  sister  of  the  sainted  Har¬ 
riet  Newell,  was  sent  out  by  a  Young  Men’s  Missionary  Society 
of  New  York  City,  about  1820.  The  story  of  his  Herculean 
labors  and  their  countless  sacrifices  for  the  first  church  of 
Mobile,  belongs  to  the  romance  of  Missions.  ■  On  one  occasion, 
when  returning  from  New  York,  whither  he  had  gone,  on  horse¬ 
back,  for  more  money  and  material  for  the  building,  he  found 
his  wife  sleeping  in  the  little  cemetery  and  scores  of  his  parish¬ 
ioners  either  ill  or  dead  from  the  terrible  scourge  of  Yellow 
Fever.  But  he  never  faltered  until  his  work  was  successfully 
completed.  Twelve  years  later,  Government  Street  Church  goes 
on  record  as  having  contributed,  for  the  current  year,  $2,000.00 
for  Foreign  Missions,  $800.00  for  Home  Missions,  $925.00 
to  Education  and  $900.00  for  the  work  of  the  American  Society. 
So  quickly  does  a  church,  born  of  missions,  become  a  supporter 
of  missions  and  become  a  contributor  to  the  benevolences  of 
which,  so  lately,  it  had  been  a  sharer. 

SOME  ANTE-BELLUM  NAMES. 

In  tracing  the  beginnings  of  woman’s  work  for  missions 
in  South  Alabama,  one  finds,  on  the  roll  of  charter  members 
of  Government  Street  Church,  Mobile  the  name  of  one  Mrs. 


86 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


Catherine  Van  Renssalear  Schuyler  Hale.  She  was  said  to  have 
been  a  cousin  of  the  famous  Alexander  Hamilton,  and  to  have 
been  reared  in  his  household.  She  was  a  highly  educated 
woman,  of  strong  intellect  and  deep  piety.  For  sixty  years  she 
wrought  her  influence  into  the  fabric  of  Mobile  society,  as  head 
of  a  young  ladies’  select  school,  Bible  class  teacher,  organizer 
of  an  industrial  school  among  the  poor  which  was  the  germ  of 
South  Franklin  Street  church,  as  the  ministering  angel  among 
the  needy  of  both  races,  and  as  the  president  of,  perhaps,  the 
first  adult  Foreign  Missionary  Society  in  Mobile.  Tradition 
says  that  it  was  organized  in  the  sixties  and  included  some  of 
the  most  notable  names  in  the  history  of  Presbyterianism  in 
South  Alabama. 

JUVENILE  SOCIETY  OF  THE  ’40’S. 

In  the  ladies’  parlors  of  Government  Street  Church,  there 
is  a  framed  list  of  the  members  of  the  Juvenile  Foreign  Mis¬ 
sionary  Society,  of  1848.  The  name  of  the  president  of  this 
early  band  of  boys  and  girls  is  not  known;  but  the  name  of  the 
lad  who  so  carefuly  inscribed  the  names  in  neat  columns,  add¬ 
ing  flourishes  and  scrolls  when  occasion  demanded,  was  one 
Gustavus  Horton,  eldest  son  of  Judge  Gustavus  Horton,  of 
Puritan  blood,  whose  chief  aim  was  to  advance  the  Kingdom 
of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  Names  of  other  children  of  his 
adorn  the  list:  Carrie,  Eliza,  Harriet,  Frank  and  Mary.  We 
pause  for  a  moment  over  the  name  of  Mary,  for  it  was  she 
who  was  destined  to  grow  into  beautiful  womanhood  and  to 
give  years  of  fragrant  service  to  her  own  City,  before  she  be¬ 
came  the  wife  of  Dr.  John  Leighton  Stuart  of  Hangchow, 
China,  and  entered  upon  her  long  and  fruitful  career  as  an 
educational  and  evangelistic  missionary  and  as  the  mother  of 
sons  who  are  making  history  in  the  Far  East.  Only  yesterday, 
we  were  reading  the  story  of  the  celebration  of  her  eightieth 
birthday  in  the  home  of  her  son  Leighton,  who  is  now  the 
President  of  Peking  University.  The  honors  bestowed  upon 


ALABAMA 


87 


her  by  heathen  and  Christian  gave  one  some  idea  of  what  is 
meant  by  the  Hundredfold  in  this  life. 

Truly,  the  unknown  leader  of  the  Juvenile  Missionary 
Society  of  1848  builded  better  than  she  knew. 

COLORED  EVANGELIZATION. 

Prior  to  the  War,  as  in  other  parts  of  the  South,  God’s 
people  were  concerned  in  the  conversion  of  the  slaves.  There 
were  Sunday  afternoon  schools  for  the  “creoles”  and  mulattoes 
and  there  were  a  goodly  number  of  dusky  worshipers  in  the 
slave  galleries  at  the  regular  hours  of  morning  service. 

HOME  MISSIONS. 

The  needs  of  the  coast  country  were  so  great,  that  the  ac¬ 
tivities  of  consecrated  lives  were  often  absorbed  in  caring  for 
the  sufferers  during  the  ravages  of  Yellow  Fever  epedemics, 
and  supporting  or  engaging  in  colportage  or  Bible  distribution 
through  the  sparsely  settled  plantation  country  to  the  north  of 
the  coast. 

A  NEW  EPOCH. 

Then  came  the  Civil  War,  sweeping  the  country  with  its 
breath  of  fire  and  leaving  an  aftermath  of  poverty  and  dis¬ 
tress,  but  with  it  a  deepened  sense  of  religious  responsibility. 
Then  our  Southern  Presbyterian  Church  flung  its  banner  to  the 
breeze  and  called  for  recruits  for  the  great  world  war  against 
idolatry.  Dr.  J.  L.  Stuart,  of  Kentucky,  was  one  of  the  first 
to  respond  and  went  to  China  in  the  late  sixties  and  returned1  in 
1874  for  a  year  of  recuperation.  When  he  again  set  sail  for 
his  adopted  country,  he  took  with  him  the  beautiful  Mary 
Horton  of  Mobile. 

This  also  marked  a  new  epoch  in  the  growth  of  missionary 
interest,  in  Mobile.  Two  Mary  Stuart  Societies  were  organized 
— one  in  the  South  Franklin  Street  Church,  of  which  Mrs. 
Stuart  was  a  member,  and  one  in  the  Jackson  Street  Church, 
where  her  father  was  a  ruling  elder.  Of  the  first  named  society, 


38 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


Mrs.  Thomas  McBryde,  sister  of  Mrs.  Stuart,  and  Mrs.  M.  J. 
Thompson  wife  of  the  Pastor,  were  the  inspiration  and  leaders, 
and  their  influence  lives  after  them,  Mrs.  McBryde  is  still 
letting  her  light  shine  in  Dalton,  Georgia,  but  Mrs.  Thompson 
was  called  to  her  reward  many  years  ago,  but  not  until  she 
saw  Miss  Fannie  Robbins  go  from  their  number,  to  minister  in 
the  mountains  of  Kentucky,  and  they  had  had  the  privilege  of 
paying  the  traveling  expenses  of  two  of  our  African  Mission¬ 
aries,  Maria  Fearing  and  Lillian  Thomas,  back  to  their  be¬ 
loved  work  at  Luebo.  This  wasj  done  by  means,  of  a  $2,000.00 
bequest  left  the  society  by  a  friend  of  the  Pastor’s  wife,  Mrs. 
Robert  Edmunds  of  Lebanon,  in  memory  of  her  son,  Ray. 

RETURNING  SHIPS 

The  Anna  Safford  Missionary  Society,  for  boys  and  girls, 
was  organized  in  South  Franklin  Street  Church,  in  1885,  as  the 
result  of  a  visit  from  Miss  Anna  C.  Safford,  of  Soochow,  China, 
to  her  sister,  Mrs.  Thompson.  This  society  deserves  special 
mention,  as  it  numbered  among  its  members  Leighton  and  David 
Stuart,  who  had  been  left  in  the  home  land  for  educational 
purposes,  on  the  return  of  their  parents  to  China,  in  1886; 
Urban  Mooney,  who  is  now  the  Pastor  of  the  Napoleon  Ave. 
Church  in  New  Orleans;  Albert  French  who  consecrated  his 
life  to  Africa,  but  who  was  called  to  higher  service  before 
completing  his  college  course;  Earl  Curtis,  who,  as  a  minister 
of  the  Gospel,  is  doing  a  great  work  for  boys,  in  Oklahoma; 
David  Burr  Gregory,  who  is  the  Pastor  of  the  First  Church  of 
Durant,  Oklahoma;  Miss  Ophelia  Heiter,  who  is  an  all-time 
religious  worker  in  Government  Street  Church,  Mobile;  and 
Miss  Florence  Dolphy,  a  Pastor’s  assistant  in  Wheeling,  W.  Va., 
besides  others  who  are  unofficial  workers  in  the  Kingdom. 

A  NEW  NOTE. 

The  threads  of  influence,  in  our  woman’s  organized  work 
for  missions  is  most  interesting.  Miss  Safford  was  a  close 


ALABAMA 


89 


friend  of  Mrs.  Josiah  Sibley  of  Augusta,  Georgia.  Together, 
they  had  dreamed  of  arousing  the  unused  forces  of  our  women, 
for  mission  service  and  had  seen  in  a  vision,  what  we  see  in 
fact;  so  in  public  and  private  discourses,  the  women  began 
to  hear  the  word,  ORGANIZATION  reiterated,  for  the  first 
time,  and  so  here,  and  wherever  she  went,  seed  were  planted 
that  were  destined  to  yield  a  bountiful  harvest  when  the  sowers 
should  have  passed  on. 

Mrs.  Stuart’s  furlough  followed  that  of  Miss  Safford,  and 
the  year  spent  in  her  father’s  home  was  rich  in  blessing  to  all 
who  came  under  the  influence  of  her  radiant  personality. 

MOBILE  HOME  AND  FOREIGN  MISSION  UNION. 

1895. 

Early  in  the  nineties,  rumors  began  reaching  us  of  Unions 
in  Virginia,  and  then  letters,  followed  by  other  letters,  from 
our  more  progressive  sisters  in  North  Alabama,  urging  the 
women  of  Mobile  Presbytery  to  correlate  their  societies  into 
a  Union  as  they  were  doing.  But  Mobilians  are  a  conser¬ 
vative  folk,  and  do  not  hastily  run  after  new  schemes;  therefore, 
it  was  not  until  January  1895  that  the  Woman’s  Home  and 
Foreign  Missionary  Union  was  fairly  launched  in  Govern¬ 
ment  Street  Church,  Mobile.  Its  officers  were  as  follows: 

President,  Mrs.  Thomas  McMillan;  Recording  Secretary, 
Mrs.  William  Tucker;  Treasurer,  Mrs.  Robert  W.  Horn. 

A  CLOSE  CORPORATION. 

The  initial  step  was  taken,  but  it  was  still,  as  some  one 
wrote,  “a  close  corporation.”  To  be  sure,  the  invitations  were 
written,  nay  reiterated,  to  our  sisters  in  the  outside  churches  to 
come  in  to  the  “feast”  but  the  churches  in  the  Presbytery  were 
small  and  widely  scattered,  conservatism  was  strong  and  there 
was  no  one  to  go  out  and  compel  them  to  come  in.  It  was 
the  early  problem  of  the  Missionary  Visitor. 


,90 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


ENTER  MISS  DALY. 

Not  until  Miss  Alice  Daly,  of  the  North  Alabama  Union, 
invaded  the  Mobile  Union,  did  the  smaller  churches  begin  to 
realize  the  duty  of  co-operation.  This  visitation  was  followed 
later  by  Mrs.  E.  L.  Russell,  who  further  strengthened  the  ties 
of  union  between  the  city  and  country  churches  and  gave  the 
women  a  vision  of  higher  service  for  the  Kingdom. 

HOW  NORTH  ALABAMA  CAME  INTO  LEADERSHIP. 

1894. 

In  seeking  for  the  beginnings  of  a  deepened  love  for 
missions,  in  North  Alabama,  one  follows  a  winding  trail  of 
influences  that  ultimately  lead  one  to  a  lonely  grave,  under  a 
hill,  on  the  Congo  River,  where  the  body  of  Samuel  Lapsley, 
of  the  Southern  Presbyterian  Church  awaits  the  resurrection. 

GAIN  THROUGH  LOSS. 

The  little  mother  in  Anniston  meekly  bowed  her  he.ad  when 
the  stroke  came,  then  lifted  it  again  as  a  vision  of  service  filled 
her  heart.  Those  who  tell  the  story,  say  that  it  began  first 
in  a  revivified  missionary  society  and  in  the  consecration  of 
lives  that  had  been  given  to  aims  less  worthy.  Then  came 
the  plan  of  gathering  the  local  societies  of  North  Alabama  into 
a  union,  the  organization  of  new  societies  and  the  introducing 
of  mission  study. 

MEMORABLE  NAMES. 

Many  noble  women  were  concerned  in  this  pioneer  work 
of  organization,  but  those  that  occur  to  the  historian  as  being 
among  the  leaders,  who  should  have  a  lasting  memorial  are: 
the  first  honorary  life-president  of  the  Synodical,  Mrs.  James 
Lapsley,  Mrs.  John  B.  Knox  of  Anniston,  Mrs.  Flinn,  Mrs. 
Waddell,  Mrs.  Handley,  Mrs.  James  Bruce,  and  others  of 
Birmingham.  Because  of  their  zeal  and  consecration,  because 
of  the  peculiar  gifts  possessed  by  some  of  their  number,  and 
also  because  of  the  geographical  location  of  the  towns  in  the 


ALABAMA 


91 


North  Alabama  Presbytery,  permitting  their  visitation  with 
a  minimum  expenditure  of  time  and  money,  their  union  grew 
into  a  large  and  well-managed  organization  in  a  comparatively 
short  time,  and  they  were  stretching  out  helping  hands  to  others. 
Mrs.  Bruce  was  the  secretary  and  treasurer  in  those  early  days 
and  the  writer  will  never  forget  the  sight  of  her  books;  they 
were  a  model  of  clearness  and  precision  and  became  the  ideal 
for  the  inexperienced  to  follow  after,  even  as  Mrs.  Bruce  was 
destined  to  become  the  leader  of  thd  women  of  Alabama  in 
woman’s  organized  work.  Miss  Alice  Daly,  then  a  young 
woman  with  leisure,  strength  and  ability,  was  early  called  into 
service  as  the  visitor  for  the  Presbytery  and  it  was  largely 
through  her  indefatigable  efforts  that  the  outlying  churches 
were  brought  into  close  co-operation  with  those  in  the  larger 
towns. 

MRS.  SARAH  PRATT  LAPSLEY. 

It  is  well  for  us  to  pause  here  for  a  moment  to  dwell 
upon  the  character,  personality  and  influence  of  one  whose 
memory  is  sacred  and  precious,  not  only  to  North  Alabama 
Presbyterial  and  Alabama  Synodical,  but  throughout  the 
Southern  Presbyterian  Church  and  wherever  the  story  of  Mis¬ 
sions  is  told.  As  the  mother  of  Samuel  Norvell  Lapsley,  her 
name,  along  with  his  service  in  Africa,  will  be  embalmed  in 
the  Church  for  ages  to  come. 

The  life  of  Mrs.  Sarah  Pratt  Lapsley  was  long  and  event¬ 
ful,  covering  a  period  of  over  four  score  years,  with  a  full 
and  varied  experience,  embracing  all  of  the  purest  joys  of  a 
happy  Christian  home,  bearing  rich  fruit  in  the  lives  of  her 
children,  and  grand-children.  She  was  the  wife  of  Judge 
James  W.  Lapsley  of  Selma,  Alabama,  and  the  mother  of 
twelve  children,  nine  of  whom  grew  to  maturity.  Three  sons 
were  ministers  of  the  Gospel;  Dr.  Robert  Lapsley  is  Editor  of 
the  Earnest  Worker;  Rev.  James  Lapsley  is  in  the  Home 
Mission  Field;  Samuel  Norvell  Lapsley  was  the  founder  of 


92 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


our  African  Mission  and  laid  down  his  life  with  the  spirit  of  a 
true  martyr  at  Matadi  in  the  Belgian  Congo,  March  26th,  1892. 

Two  of  her  daughters,  Mrs.  Robert  Liston,  and  Mrs.  Wade 
Smith,  are  the  wives  of  ministers.  One  grandson  is  a  promis¬ 
ing  young  minister  in  North  Carolina,  three  are  preparing  for 
the  ministry,  two  have  offered  their  lives  for  foreign  service. 
One  granddaughter  is  in  the  Home  Mission  Field,  another 
granddaughter  will  go  as  a  foreign  missionary.  Truly,  the 
promise  “to  your  children’s  children”  has  been  fulfilled  in  her 
victorious  life.  Back  of  all  this  lies  a  mother’s  influence,  and 
a  consecration  of  purpose  and  ideals  akin  to  the  faith  of  Monica 
and  the  women  of  the  Bible. 

Mrs.  Lapsley’s  work'  for  Missions  was  the  sweet  incense 
of  a  heart  poured  out  at  her  Savior’s  feet.  She  could  have  no 
peace  nor  rest  save  in  her  zeal,  self-sacrifice  and  prayers  for 
the  spread  of  the  Gospel.  Naturally  timid  and  shrinking,  it 
was  not  easy  for  her  to  take  the  initiative  in  any  work  of  a 
public  nature,  but  through  faith  and  Christian  courage  and  the 
vision  of  what  women  could  do,  banded  together  with  the  one 
aim — “Attempt  great  things  for  God;  expect  great  things  of 
God,”  she  undertook  a  great  task. 

THE  FIRST  MISSIONARY  SENT  BY  THE  SOUTHERN 

PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCH. 

From  the  Executive  Committee’s  Report  of  1863  (Alexan¬ 
der’s  Digest)  is  the  record  that  “The  missionaries  in  the  Choc¬ 
taw  Country  came  to  the  conclusion  during  that  Summer  that 
it  would  be  very  disastrous  to  suspend  their  schools  even  for  a 
limited  time.  There  were  a  number  of  white  women  in  the 
country,  most  of  them  wives  or  daughters  of  missionaries,  and 
educated  Choctaw  women,  whose  services  were  found  available 
as  teachers.”  A  call  was  issued  for  more  teachers,  and  the 
Committee  reported  “One  of  these  schools  is  now  taught  by 
Miss  Augusta  Bradford,  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church 
in  Talladega,  Alabama,  who  responded  to  the  call  for  teachers. 


ALABAMA 


93 


She  is  the  first  missionary  laborer  who  has  left  her  home  tc 
engage  in  missionary  work  among  the  heathen  under  the  direc¬ 
tion  of  the  Committee  and  this  fact  is  recorded  here  to  the 
honor  of  the  Church  of  which  she  is  a  member.” 

THE  BEGINNINGS  IN  TUSCALOOSA  PRESBYTERY. 

1896. 

Before  the  war,  the  churches  of  Tuscaloosa,  Greensboro, 
Eutaw,  Friendship,  Valley  Creek,  Selma  and  others,  some  of 
which  were  at  that  time  in  the  Presbytery  of  South  Alabama, 
had  organized  woman’s  societies,  yet,  so  far  as  we  can  get  the 
facts,  the  objects  worked  for  were  ministerial  education,  church 
erection,  and  “Aid  Societies.” 

*  The  hearts  of  Godly  women  were  as  devoted  then  as  now, 
but  they  gave  as  members  of  the  church  body,  not  as  societies; 
and  the  mere  thought  of  being  called  upon  to  speak  before  a 
mixed  assembly  filled  them  with  horror. 

RECONSTRUCTION. 

As  the  war-cloud  slowly  dissolved,  loyal  Presbyterians 
began  to  think,  first  of  all,  of  pulpit  supply  and  readjustment 
along  other  lines.  Sunday-schools  were  reorganized  and 
Ladies’  Aids  that  had  been  Soldiers’  Aids  during  the  War,  now 
returned  to  their  first  loves  and  devoted  themselves  to  repairing 
and  adorning  the  houses  of  worship  that  had  suffered  from 
neglect  or  the  devastation  of  armies. 

THE  WHITE  MAN’S  BURDEN. 

The  first  General  Assembly,  meeting  in  Augusta,  in  1861, 
declared  for  extension  in  Foreign  Missions,  yet  laid  upon  the 
conscience  of  the  Church,  the  cause  of  Africa  and  the  South¬ 
ern  Negro  and  if  the  sense  of  this  responsibility  could  have 
been  more  deeply  felt,  if  class  prejudice  had  been  less,  if 
Northern  influence,  bringing,  as  it  did,  revulsion  of  feeling  in 
many  cases,  on  the  part  of  the  negro  for  his  quondam  owner, 
had  been  more  positively  met  and  overcome,  we  would  have 


94 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


done  a  nobler  part  and  a  greater  good  would  have  resulted  to 
the  negro. 

STILLMAN  INSTITUTE. 

True,  an  effort  was  made,  in  accord  with  the  Assembly’s 
plans,  in  the  Tuscaloosa  Church,  of  which  Dr.  C.  A.  Stillman 
was  pastor.  His  name  was  given  to  the  institute,  organized 
by  him  for  the  training  of  colored  ministers,  and  he  was  also 
instrumental  in  reorganization  of  the  Woman’s  Society  into  a 
Foreign  Missionary  Society. 

STREAMS  OF  INFLUENCE. 

How  shall  we  count  results  when  we  say  that  Dr.  Stillman 
was  largely  concerned  in  the  going  to  Africa  of  Samuel  Laps- 
ley,  our  first  martyr?  Down  that  same  stream  of  influence  came, 
ultimately,  our  first  organized  effort.  Through  the  labors  of 
Miss  Annie  Stillman,  Tuscaloosa  was  duly  organized  in  the 
month  of  October,  1896,  preceded  by  a  sermon  from  Dr.  Rus¬ 
sell  Cecil. 

Mrs.  James  H.  Somerville  of  Aliceville  was  made  Presi¬ 
dent  and  Miss  Addie  McLemore  of  Eutaw,  Secretary  and  Treas¬ 
urer.  Then  followed  the  struggle  for  existence,  and  largely  to 
Mrs.  Somerville  is  due  the  survival  of  the  new  venture.  For 
eight  or  nine  years  she  gave  freely  of  her  time,  energy  and 
means  to  the  new  organization,  meeting  with  very]  little  co¬ 
operation,  either  from  the  ministers  or  the  women  who  should 
have  been  upholding  her  hands.  She  often  said,  but  for  the 
faith  and  encouragement  of  her  Pastor,  Rev.  Mr.  Dean  of 
Aliceville,  she  would  have  given  up  in  despair.  All  honor  to 
her  and  to  Mrs.  John  McKinnon  of  Selma,  who  was  her  Secre¬ 
tary  most  of  the  time. 

Selma,  Greensboro,  Aliceville,  York,  Marion  and  Tusca¬ 
loosa — each  in  turn  opened  their  hospitable  doors  to  the 
infant  Union;  but  women  were  unused  to  traveling  from  place 
to  place  to  attend  missionary  meetings;  domestic  duties  bound 
them,  sometimes  a  lack  of  money  prevented  and  the  attendance 


ALABAMA 


95 


of  out-of-town  delegates  was  pitably  small,  in  comparison  with 
the  bountiful  preparation  that  awaited  them.  Sometimes  a  line 
of  carriages  and  a  group  of  eager  boys  would  be  rewarded  by 
arrival  of  one  delegate.  And  if  it  was  so  difficult  to  stimulate 
attendance,  it  was  well-nigh  impossible  to  get  adequate  reports 
of  the  work  actually  being  done,  so  that  tabulation  was  out  of 
the  question.  These  conditions  prevailed  in  all  of  the  early 
Alabama  Presbyterials,  to  a  greater  or  less  degree,  and  doubt¬ 
less  throughout  the  South;  but  here  or  there  were  trained  and 
gifted  leaders  who  were  destined  to  leave  their  permanent  im¬ 
press  on  the  plastic  form  of  our  new  work. 

GREAT  NAMES. 

During  these  days  of  pioneering,  it  is  good  to  remember 
a  few  names  which  stood  for  faith,  courage,  perseverance  and 
clear  vision — Mrs.  J.  H.  Somerville  of  Aliceville,  Mrs.  V.  H. 
Rodes  and  Miss  Annie  Stillman  of  Tuscaloosa,  Mrs.  John 
McKinnon  and  Mrs.  C.  W.  Hooper  of  Selma,  who  was  a 
tower  of  strength  even  from  her  invalid  chair,  Mrs.  J.  G. 
Snedecor  of  Tuscaloosa,  calm,  clear-brained  and  true,  a  wise 
counselor  in  every  perplexing  circumstance,  and  Mrs.  J.  H. 
West  of  Uniontown,  whose  unfailing  devotion  to  the  King’s 
business  and  patient  attention  to  detail,  wrought  marvels  in  un¬ 
tangling  the  threads  that  were  to  be  woven  into  our  new  fabric. 
These  last  two  have  each  presided  over  the  Presbyterial,  as  it 
came  to  be  called,  with  wonderful  success,  and  at  the  present 
writing,  Mrs.  Snedecor  is  calmly  steering  the  Synodical  with 
the  quiet  grace  that  marks  her  every  action,  as  well  as  serving 
efficiently  as  Dean  of  the  new  School  for  colored  girls  estab¬ 
lished  in  1921  in  connection  with  Stillman  Institute. 

MISSIONARIES. 

An  interesting  story,  for  the  facts  of  which  we  are  indebted 
to  Mrs.  Snedecor,  comes  to  us  from  Ante-Bellum  days.  It 
happened  while  Dr.  Stillman  was  Pastor  at  Eutaw.  A  certain 


96 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


negro  named  Ellis,  learned  to  read  from  his  young  master  as 
they  rode  back  and  forth  to  school,  on  horseback,  and  later 
when  working  as  a  blacksmith,  he  would  ask  help  from  the 
men  who  came  into  the  shop  to  have  their  horses  shod.  In 
many  ways  he  showed  such  remarkable  traits  and  so  impressed 
men  with  his  Christian,  character,  that  the  session  of  the  church 
at  Eutaw  recommended  that  the  Presbytery  of  Tuscalosa  pur¬ 
chase  the  slave,  his  wife  and  children,  and  send  them  as  mis¬ 
sionaries  to  Liberia.  This  was  done  and  the  man  was  given 
a  training  in  Theology,  in  which  he  is  said,  by  Dr.  Stillman, 
to  have  stood  a  fine  examination.  The  Presbytery  heard  from 
him*  quite  often  at  first,  but  finally,  perhaps  during  the  War, 
they  lost  sight  of  him.  How  one  would  love  to  know  how 
much  was  really  accomplished  by  this  first  lone  missionary 
who  carried  the  light  back  to  his  own  people.  Was  the  light 
swallowed  up  by  the  dense  blackness  of  heathenism,  or  does 
it  still  burn  on? 

■Since  then,  and  under  happier  auspices,  seven,  colored  men 
and  women  have  gone  to  Africa  from  Stillman  Institute,  not 
including  Lucius  DeYampert  of  Selma.  Phillips  Verner  and 
wife,  nee  Miss  Hattie  Bradshaw,  of  Tuscaloosa,  were  among  the 
first  white  Missionaries  to  go  to  Affrica,  following  Samuel 
Lapsley  who  had  been  reared  at  Selma  but  was  living  in  Annis¬ 
ton  when  he  and  Sheppard  went  as  pioneers  to  the  Congo. 
Greensboro  has  the  honor  of  having  given  to  China  one  of  our 
saintliest  missionaries — Miss  Elmma  Boardman  of  Hangchow, 
of  whom  one  of  her  co-workers  once  said:  “She  literally  pours 
out  her  life  for  the  Chinese.” 

FIFTEEN  YEARS  OF  HISTORY  IN  EAST  ALABAMA. 

1897. 

The  call  for  a  federation  of  the  women’s  societies  of  the 
Presbytery  of  Ehst  Alabama,  came  not  from  a  leading  woman, 
but  from  Dr.  Neal  L.  Anderson  the  pastor  of  the  Central 
Presbyterian  Church,  and  he  was  acting  in  response  to  a  re- 


ALABAMA 


97 


commendation  from  Presbytery,  which  had  appointed  him  chair¬ 
man  of  the  committee  on  Foreign  Missions. 

In  response  to  this  call,  the  societies  of  the  First  and  Cen¬ 
tral  Churches  of  Montgomery,  the  churches  of  Auburn  and 
Tuskegee,  sent  delegates,  and  South  Franklin  Street  Church  of 
Mobile  asked  to  be  enrolled  by  letter.  This  last  enrollment  calls 
for  an  explanation,  as  the  Woman’s  Home  and  Foreign  Mis¬ 
sionary  Union  had  been  organized  in  Mobile  in  1895.  It  had 
been  intended,  originally,  as  a  City  Union,  therefore,  when  the 
call  came  from  the  Presbytery,  which  at  that  time  included 
Mobile,  as  well  as  what  is  now  East  Alabama,  the  women  of 
South  Franklin  Street  Church  stretched  out  their  hands,  by 
letter,  and  became  a  part  of  the  first  Woman’s  Foreign  Mis¬ 
sionary  Union  of  the  Presbytery  of  East  Alabama,  on  Monday, 
May  29th,  1897. 

The  early  history  of  the  Union  in  East  Alabama  was  a 
story  of  struggles,  vain  appeals  to  societies  outside  the  Union, 
rebuffs  from  some  of  the  prominent  churches,  unanswered  let¬ 
ters,  and  hard,  unappreciated  labors.  During  these  first  years, 
the  names  of  Mrs.  Ray  Rushton,  President,  and  Mrs.  J.  G. 
Cowan,  Secretary,  shine  out  in  letters  of  gold,  for  it  was  they 
who  toiled  with  hope  when  others  despaired  and  later  had  the 
joy  of  seeing  the  Union  grow  from  four  timid  societies  to  a 
strong  organization  representing  twenty-two  churches. 

SYNODICAL  ORGANIZATION.  1908. 

The  call  for  Synodical  Organization  came  from  Birming¬ 
ham,  and  one  recalls  with  pleasure  that  bright  October  day  in 
1907  when  a  little  group  of  five  women  gathered  around  a 
table  in  the  basement  of  the  First  Presbyterian  Church  and  dis¬ 
cussed  the  matter  of  organization  of  the  Synodical  Union  of 
Alabama. 

There  was  Mrs.  Knox  of  Anniston,  the  chief  originator  and 
inspiration  of  the  movement;  Mrs.  Bruce  of  Birmingham,  for 
many  years  an  officer  in  the  Presbyterial  Union  of  North  Ala- 


98 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


bama  and  whose  clear  brain,  combined  with  the  faculty  for 
good-comradeship,  made  her  an  indispensable  factor;  Mrs.  Mc¬ 
Kinnon  of  Selma,  true  and  tried;  Mrs.  Snedecor  of  Tuscaloosa, 
calm,  serene  and  prepared,  she  without  whom  the  women  of  our 
church  would  not  willingly  come  into  conference;  and  lastly, 
the  historian,  representing  the  Mobile  Presbyterial  Union  and 
who  sat  as  an  humble  listener  and  learner. 

Perhaps  our  minds  did  not  fully  grasp  the  meaning  and 
trend  of  the  new  step  that  we  were  taking,  but  there  was 
genuine  enthusiasm  and  an  earnest  desire  to  be  led  by  the  Mas¬ 
ter  into  more  efficient  service  in  the  great  causes  of  our  church. 

In  response  to  an  invitation  from  Mrs.  J.  Calvin  Stewart, 
President  of  the  Synodical  Union  of  Virginia,  Mrs.  Bruce 
was  appointed  to  visit  that  organization  and  confer  with  the 
leaders  before  taking  more  definite  steps  in  Alabama.  Mean¬ 
while,  Mrs.  Knox  was  made  chairman  of  an  organization  com¬ 
mittee,  Mrs.  Bruce,  Treasurer,  and  Mrs.  Cobbs,  Secretary,  and 
it  was  agreed  to  meet  in  the  Government  Street  Church,  Mobile, 
on  Thursday,  February  28th,  1908,  for  the  purpose  of  forming 
a  Synodical  should  it  be  the  desire  of  those  present  to  do  so. 

We  like  to  remember  that  Dr.  Archibald  Carr,  Pastor  of 
the  Church,  was  with  us  in  our  beginnings,  and  that  his 
prayers  and  counsel  helped  to  guide  us  along  this  untried  path. 

The  officers  of  the  infant  organization  were  as  follows: 

Mrs.  James  Lapsley,  of  Anniston  and  Mrs.  Charles  Hooper 
of  Selma,  Honorary  Presidents;  Mrs.  John  B.  Knox  of  Anni¬ 
ston,  President;  Mrs.  D.  B.  Cobbs  of  Mobile,  Recording  Secre¬ 
tary  and  Treasurer. 

The  Union  adopted  substantially  as  its  own,  the  Constitu¬ 
tion  and  By-laws  of  the  Union  of  Virginia,  which  was  the 
mother  organization  of  the  South.  The  Synodical  did  much  to 
broaden  the  vision  and  strengthen  the  purpose  of  the  women  of 
the  Presbyterials.  To  date,  1922,  we  have  had  but  four  presi¬ 
dents:  Mrs.  Knox,  Mrs.  Fritter  of  Dothan,  Mrs.  Bruce  and 


ALABAMA 


99 


A; 

Mrs.  Snedecor,  wlio  still  is  giving  her  efficient  service  for  the 
work. 

Mrs  Knox  was  our  first  and  beloved  leader  until  1911 
when  ill  health  forced  her  to  resign.  Later  she  was  made 
Honorary  Life  President.  Mrs.  W.  E.  Fritter  of  Dothan  was 
the  second  president;  she  likewise  served  for  two  years  and 
resigned  for  health  reasons;  then  came  Mrs.  James  Bruce  with 
her  clear  judgment,  rich  experience,  deep  knowledge  of  the 
church’s  needs  and  her  rare  tact  in  dealing  with  others.  How 
joyously  she  addressed  herself  to  the  work  and  how  indefatiga¬ 
ble  was  her  service!  Once,  indeed,  she  was  laid  low  by  a  ter¬ 
rible  stroke  of  Providence  that  took  her  first-born  son  without 
a  moment’s  warning.  Like  a  noble  tree  bowed  by  the  storm, 
her  lips  touched  the  dust,  and  then  she  rose  again  and  with  a 
calm  face  took  up  her  work  because  it  was  the  King’s  work. 
For  four  years  she  labored  to  make  Alabama  one  of  the  strong 
Synodicals  of  the  South.  As  Chairman  of  the  Woman’s  Ad¬ 
visory  Committee,  she  was  able  to  speak  from  the  very  heart 
of  the  work  and  her  words  were  the  tools  that  shaped  our  plans. 
We  love  to  remember  these  things  now — her  patience  with  those 
who  could  not  understand — her  profound  ability,  yes,  and  her 
whimsical  humor  that  lightened  the  day’s  work — the  altogether 
of  her  that  made  her  the  delightful  companion  as  well  as  the 
wise  leader.  Her  departure  from  this  life  while  her  sun  was 
still  high  in  its  zenith,  is  so  recent  that,  we|  cannot  think  of  her 
as  dead;  she  is  not  dead,  but  only  transferred  to  a  higher  field 
of  service.  Friends  say  that  when  her  spirit  was  slipping  away 
she  smiled  back,  one  of  her  radiant  smiles;  perhaps  she  knew 
then. 

THE  GULF  STATES  PRESBYTERIAN. 

The  women  of  Alabama  deeply  appreciate  the  generosity 
of  Dr.  H.  G.  Kegley,  in  giving  large  space*  in  the  Gulf  States 
Presbyterian  for  the  discussion  of  plans  for  organizing  the 
women  of  our  church.  This  was  the  more  appreciated  be- 


100 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


cause  of  the  cautious  attitude  or  complete  silence  of  the 
the  other  organs  of  our  church  until  the  Auxiliary  was  author¬ 
ized  and  endorsed  by  the  General  Assembly.  Mrs.  John  B. 
Knox,  and  later,  Mrs.  D.  B.  Cobbs,  were  editors  of  the  Woman’s 
Department  during  those  days  of  warm  discussion  and  sharp 
difference  of  opinion  as  to  woman’s  place  in  the  church. 

ALABAMA  WOMEN  LOYAL  FROM  THE  FIRST. 

Alabama  women  were  among  the  first  to  go  on  record  as 
endorsing  the  “Missouri  Plan”  and  they  have  never  faltered 
in  their  loyalty,  though,  it  must  be  confessed,  in  individual  cases, 
they  little  realized  how  radical  was  to  be  the  change  in  their 
methods  of  work,  and  conservatism  died  hard  in  the  “Old 
First  Churches.” 

THE  BIRTH  OF  THE  WOMAN’S  AUXILIARY. 

While  the  women  of  our  church  are  celebrating  the  tenth 
birthday  of  the  Auxiliary,  with  candles  and  gifts  and  wondrous 
cakes,  the  writer  is  recalling  the  day  when  the  infant  organiza¬ 
tion  was  born,  among  the  rills  and  trees  of  Montreat. 

The  event  was  preceded  by  a  memorable  prayer-meeting 
at  the  cottage  of  Mrs.  C.  E.  Graham.  The  air  was  chill  and 
misty,  so  that  the  blazing  fire  was  a  cheerful  sight  and  gave 
an  air  of  home-likeness.  More  than  twenty-five  women,  repre¬ 
senting  the  different  states,  were  present.  Mrs.  Fritter,  of 
Dothan,  Alabama,  the  President  of  our  Synodical,  was  there 
to  pledge  Alabama’s  loyalty.  Mrs.  E.  L.  Russell  was  there, 
unofficially,  but  with  an  important  place  on  the  program.  Mrs. 
D.  B.  Cobbs,  of  Mobile,  then  President  of  the  Mobile  Pres- 
byterial,  was  representing  the  Gulf  States  Presbyterian. 

Mrs.  McCaulie,  that  mother  of  missionaries,  led  the  devo¬ 
tions  and  practically  every  woman  present  voiced  a  petition 
for  light  and  guidance  in  the  great  work  that  lay  before  us. 

We  are  glad  that  Alabama  stood  with  cur  Superintendent 
in  the  beginning  and  that  its  loyalty  has  never  failed. 


APPALACHIA 


APPALACHIA 


102 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


Mrs.  T.  H.  McCallie,  Chattanooga,  Tenn.  Endeared 
to  her  fellow-workers  as  “Mother”  McCallie. 


APPALACHIA 


103 


APPALACHIA 

In  1915  according  to  an  act  of  General  Assembly,  the 
Mountain  Synod  of  Appalachia  was  carved  out  of  the  connect¬ 
ing  mountain  sections  of  Virginia,  West  Virginia,  Kentucky, 
Tennessee,  North  and  South  Carolina  and  Georgia,  and  thus 
presented  to  the  church  its  Mountain  Mission  Problem  in  a 
compact  form  and  under  unified  control. 

The  pioneer  history  of  this  Synod  belongs  to  the  several 
states  which  gave  up  many  of  their  long  established  churches 
in  order  that  this 'experiment  in  Home  Mission  efficiency  might 
be  tried  out.  So  that  while  the  Synod  of  Appalachia  is  very 
young,  its  Presbyteries  are  rich  in  experience. 

HOLSTON  PRESBYTERY. 

The  territory  occupied  by  Holston  Presbytery  is  the  earliest 
settled  portion  of  the  State  of  Tennessee,  and  the  organization 
of  some  of  its  churches  antedates  the  history  of  the  State  by 
many  years. 

One  of  the  oldest,  perhaps  the  very  oldest  of  these  churches 
is  New  Providence,  at  Stony  Point,  Hawkins  County,  Tennes¬ 
see,  dating  back  to  1 7 80.  Of  course,  in  those  early  days  there 
was  no  opportunity  for  any  organization  of  women.  The 
pioneer  woman’s  life  was  so  full  of  the  necessary  toil  incident 
to  the  primitive  modes  of  living  in  this  battle  with  the  wilder¬ 
ness  that  the  careful  rearing  and  training  of  her  children  was 
a  tremendous  contribution  to  the  religious  and  social  life  of  our 
nation;  but  we  know  that  the  women  were  ready  for  every  good 
work  by  the  character  of  the  descendants  they  left.  As  the  years 
passed  the  members  of  this  church  prospered — were  well-to-do 
farmers,  many  of  them  slaveowners — and  as  one  very  old  lady 
quaintly  expressed  it,  “The  darkeys  couldn’t  take  a  dose  of 
medicine  by  themselves,  and  the  women  were  so  busy  in  the 


104 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


large  households  thus  maintained  that  they  had  little  time  for 
anything  outside  of  home.”  With  these  dependent  ones  to  look 
after  physically  and  spiritually  their  responsibility  was  great, 
and  they  had  a  Home  Mission  ready  to  their  hands.  The  women 
of  this  church  conducted  Sunday  Schools  for  the  colored  peo¬ 
ple,  many  of  whom  became  members  of  the  church,  where  a 
space  was  always  allotted  for  their  use,  and  they  had  the  privi¬ 
lege  of  all  the  ordinances  of  the  church.  The  women  also  taught 
faithfully  in  the  Sunday  School.  In  the  past  fifty  years  the 
church  building  and  manse  have  been  twice  destroyed  by  fire, 
and  in  the  labors  and  sacrifices  of  rebuilding,  the  women  have 
faithfully  borne  their  part. 

Jonesboro  is  the  oldest  town  in  Tennessee  and  was  the  first 
Capital.  Here  in  1790  the  Presbyterian  Church  was  organized. 
As  far  back  as  1816  we  find  them  holding  regularly  a  “Woman’s 
Prayer-meeting.”  This  custom  was  suggested  and  introduced 
by  Dr.  Charles  Coffin,  a  distinguished  preacher  of  that  day. 
Of  this  praver-meeting  the  Rev.  Rufus  P.  Wells,  Pastor  about 
1845,  wrote  this  beautiful  tribute:  “While  the  Wednesday  even¬ 
ing  prayer-meeting  has  often  been  interrupted,  sometimes  hav¬ 
ing  no  praying  member  present,  often  only  one,  the  woman’s 
meeting  has  been  kept  up  with  little  if  any  interruption,  from 
that  day  until  the  present.  After  the  lapse  of  nearly  thirty- 
five  years,  it  stands  as  an  enduring  monument  to  the  piety 
which  has  adorned  the  hearts  and  lives  of  our  sisters  and 
mothers  in  Israel.  That  prayer-meeting,  I  have  reason  to  be¬ 
lieve,  has  proved  the  salvation  of  our  congregation,  and  the 
prayers  there  offered  and  not  yet  answered  are  a  rich  treasure 
to  be  enjoyed  by  those  who  shall  come  after  us.” 

In  1826  we  find  this  record:  “The  church  is  much  in¬ 
terested  in  missions,  especially  the  women,  who  are  providing 
clothing  and  many  articles  of  convenience  for  the  missionaries 
among  the  heathen.  The  Sunday  School  was  organized  in 
that  year,  and  many  women  were  faithful  teachers.  When  the 
present  church  building  was  erected  in  1847,  the  women  made 


APPALACHIA 


105 


generous  contributions  toward  it,  and  themselves  bought  the  bell 
at  a  cost  of  $384.00.  In  1860,  a  Juvenile  Missionary  Society 
was  organized. 

In  1869  a  church  was  organized  at  Johnson  City  (then 
Johnson’s  Depot),  with  a  little  handful  of  members.  Only  a 
few  years  had  passed  since  the  fearful  ravages  of  the  Civil  War 
had  swept  over  the  South,  and  this  section  was  to  a  peculiar 
extent  the  theatre  of  some  of  its  direst  tragedies.  Poverty,  dis¬ 
organization  and  the  need  of  rehabilitation  stared  at  one  from 
every  hand,  as  this  little  band  faced  the  necessity  of  a  house  of 
worship.  Their  case  seemed  well  nigh  hopeless,  but  a  leader 
was  all* that  was  needed,  and  that  one  filled  with  energy,  faith 
and  deep  consecration  appeared  in  the  person  of  a  woman — Mrs. 
Loretta  Lyle  Smith,  to  whose  efforts  belong  the  credit  of  the 
first  church  building  in  Johnson  City. 

She  came  of  a  race  of  church  builders  in  the  early  history 
of  Virginia;  so  armed  with  a  subscription  paper,  drawn  up 
by  Col.  Robert  Love,  an  able  lawyer  of  his  day,  mounted  on 
her  faithful  horse,  day  after  day  she  carried  this  paper  from 
house  to  house  until  her  work  was  done.  Besides  this  labor  of 
love  she  gave  $500.00,  the  largest  amount  given  by  any  mem¬ 
ber,  andi  later  as  more  funds  were  needed  she  added  $300.00  to 
her  first  gift.  She  was  not  the  wealthiest  member  in  dollars 
and  cents,  but  was  rich  in  the  Christian  graces.  She  secured 
from  her  father,  brothers  and  immediate  relatives,  $500.00 
more,  so  that  nearly  two-thirds  of  the  amount  on  hand  at  the 
beginning  was  given  by  her  family,  “the  Lyles.”  Before  she  real¬ 
ized  the  fruition  of  her  labors  God,  in  His  inscrutable  wis¬ 
dom,  called  her  home  to  the  Church  triumphant,  and  the  in¬ 
fant  church  felt  the  blow  most  keenly.  But  they  had  caught 
the  inspiration  of  her  life,  and  with  renewed  energy  carried 
on  the  work.  The  church  thrived  and  grew,  and  as  the  little 
hamlet  of  Johnson’s  Depot  became  the  bustling  town  of  John¬ 
son  City,  it  held  its  place  of  importance  in  the  community  life. 

In  later  years  when  it  became  necessary  to  build  a  larger 


106 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


and  more  convenient  place  of  worship,  the  women  with  such  an 
example  to  follow,  found  it  easy  to  make  rich  gifts  both  for 
the  church  and  manse  and  also  for  the  organ. 

KNOXVILLE  PRESBYTERY. 

A  woman’s  grave  at  old  Lebanon  church,  in  Knoxville 
Presbytery  stands  as  a  memorial  for  all  that  pioneer  Christian 
women  bequeathed  to  Tennessee. 

Precious  as  this  legacy  is  to  Presbyterianism,  all  who  call 
Jesus  Christ  Lord,  can  stand  at  that  lonely  grave  in  awed 
gratitude,  for  it  marks  the  sacrifice  that  brought  the  first  gos¬ 
pel  message  to  this  frontier — when  the  frontier  was  a  wedge 
driven  into  Indian  territory. 

The  grave  is  Mrs.  Carrick’s,  the  wife  of  the  Rev.  Samuel 
Carrick.  In  1791,  Reverend  Carrick  appeared  with  dramatic 
unexpectedness  among  the  backwoodsmen,  a  young  man  of 
dignity,  breeding,  and  gifts,  who  could  have  been  a  brilliant 
minister  in  noted  pulpits  of  his  time.  But  he  chose  to  lose  his 
life — of  ease  and  prominence — and  to  find  it  for  Christ’s  sake, 
in  a  ministry  to  pioneers,  who  in  fighting  Indians  and  wild 
beasts,  and  the  earth  itself  for  food,  were  expanding  America, 
but  forgetting  God. 

Into  this  life  savage  in  its  roughness  and  dangers,  for 
Indians  were  constantly  murdering  the  settlers,  came  Mrs. 
Carrick.  She  must  have  been  gently  bred,  like  her  husband, 
for  he  belonged  to  a  cultivated  Virginia  community,  where  men 
married  their  social  equals.  All  accounts  lead  us  to  believe 
there  were  few,  if  any  women  of  her  kind,  when  she  came  into 
this  rough  section.  Her  coming  shows  the  soul  stuff  she  was 
made  of.  She  made  a  home  for  her  husband  when'  Indian 
peril  and  pioneer  hardships  were  both  at  the  peak.  This  is  all 
we  know  of  her — in  life.  It  is  her  death  that  cuts  her  out,  an 
unforgettable  figure. 

An  Indian  attack  threatened  Fort  White  at  Knoxville,  and 
the  men  and  all  the  boys  who  could  bear  arms,  on  the  entire 


APPALACHIA 


107 


frontier,  were  rushed  by  military  order  to  defend  the  fort. 
Reverend  Garrick  went  with  the  troops,  leaving  his  wife  and 
children  at  home,  near  Boyd’s  Ferry,  two  miles  above  Lebanon 
Church.  On  the  day  of  the  expected  attack  on  Knoxville,  Mrs. 
Carrick  died,  in  her  husband’s  absence.  In  the  rude  community 
he  was  doctor  as  well  as  minister,  and  his  absence  meant  she 
died  without  any  medical  help,  as  well  as  without  his  presence 
and  faith. 

Her  body  was  brought  down  the  river  in  a  canoe,  to 
Lebanon  church  grave-yard,  and  buried  there,  at  midnight, 
by  women  alone.  They  used  a  smothered  light,  for  fear  of  an  at¬ 
tack  from  Indians,  who  were  supposed  td  be  near.  That  canoe, 
slipping  down  the  black  stream,  carrying  the  dead,  and  those 
living,  lonely  women,  grip  the  heart  more  profoundly  than 
the  story  of  any  poetic  barge.  In  a  mournful  picture,  it  fixes 
for  us  and  for  those  who  come  after  us,  the  pathetic  courage 
of  the  pioneer  Christian  woman,  who  quietly  took  the  chance 
of  dying  alone,  as  Mrs.  Carrick  did,  in  helping  her  husband 
to  establish  a  church,  or  who  openly  dared  death,  as  those 
women  who  buried  with  their  own  hands  their  pastor’s  wife. 

Sickness  and  death  under  such  conditions,  and  Indian  at¬ 
tacks  upon  families  in  this  Presbytery,  bring  home  to  us  the 
heroism  that  was  demanded  of  the  women  who  made  homes 
on  the  frontier,  and  who  in  making  homes  founded  the  church. 
This  is  strikingly  proved  in  the  later  settlements  of  the  West, 
when  men  pushed  out  without  women.  This  settlement  with¬ 
out  homes,  was  without  churches,  without  Sunday,  and  its 
godless  imprint,  after  decades  of  Home  Mission  work,  still 
lingers.  The  Christian  pioneer  woman  in  Tennessee  in  setting 
up  a  home  did  as  much  for  the  church  as  the  modern  wom&n 
could  possibly  do  with  her  organized  work. 

Lebanon  church  was  organized  in  1791  by  the  Reverend 
Carrick,  and  is  the  historic  mother  church  of  Knoxville  Presby¬ 
tery. 


108 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


In  the  First  Church  of  Knoxville  which  dates  back  to 
1796,  the  women  were  sufficiently  banded  together  in  the  early 
days  to  give  a  Communion  Service  to  the  church.  Then  again 
when  Mrs.  Samuel  A.  Ray,  a  member  of  old  Lebanon  Church 
four  miles  distant,  was  about  to  start  out  with  her  husband 
for  Persia  as  a  missionary,  the  women  prepared  generous  gifts 
for  Mrs.  Ray,  to  assure  her  comfort  in  Persia.  This  was  not 
official  equipment,  but  the  spontaneous  gifts  of  love  from  women 
to  another  woman  going  forth  with  the  gospel  to  the  utter¬ 
most  parts  of  the  earth. 

Between  1840  and  1855  there  was  a  custom  in  the  families 
of  this  church,  of  encouraging  the  children  to  do  without  butter, 
for  a  sum  of  money,  that  wrould  be  their  earned  contribution 
to  foreign  missions.  These  contributions  were  handed  in  at 
monthly  missionary  meetings,  held  for  the  whole  church,  Sun¬ 
day  afternoon.  It  is  obvious  that  this  plan  originated  with 
the  women  and  wTas  carried  out  by  them,  mainly  to  teach 
sacrificial  missionary  giving  to  the  child. 

ABINGDON  PRESBYTERY. 

In  the  Virginia  section  of  Appalachia  Synod,  is  New7 
Dublin  Church,  dating  from  about  1761.  It  owes  its  existence 
to  a  woman’s  devotion  to  her  faith.  Joseph  Cloyd,  one  of  the 
pioneers  in  that  section,  wished  to  marry  Mary  Gordon,  of 
Rockbridge  County,  Virginia,  but  she  refused  to  go  to  that  then 
“backwoods”  country  unless  her  lover  promised  that  as  soon 
as  he  was  settled  he  would  build  for  her  a  Presbyterian  Church. 
This  promise  he  fulfilled,  and  a  house  of  worship  being  erected, 
a  church  was  organized,  known  as  the  New  Dublin  Church. 
The  present  building  is  the  third  erected  on  that  site. 

When,  in  1869,  a  Foreign  and  Home  Missionary  Society 
was  organized  at  the  Presbyterian  Manse,  near  Newberne,  it  was 
but  natural  to  find  among  the  charter  members  a  descendant 
of  this  “true  blue”  Presbyterian  woman. 

This  society  held  quarterly  all-day  meetings  at  the  manse, 


APALACHIA 


109 


carrying  their  dinner  with  them.  The  children,  too,  were 
members,  contributing  regularly,  and  three  of  those  children 
are  active  members  of  the  society  of  today.  They  had  very  little 
missionary  literature  in  those  early  days,  especially  for  chil¬ 
dren,  but  began  to  take  the  “Child’s  Missionary  Magazine,” 
as  soon  as  it  was  published,  and  found  it  most  helpful. 

One  woman,  always  very  active  in  church  work,  at  her 
death  left  a  legacy,  the  interest  on  which  is  to  bei  used  to  keep 
up  the  church  property  and  pretty  little  cemetery  near  by. 

ASHEVILLE  PRESBYTERY. 

A*  church  was  built  in  Hendersonville,  North  Carolina, 
about  1860,  and  for  many  years  during  the  Civil  War  and  after 
it  had  a  hard  struggle  for  existence.  There  were  few  men  in 
the  church,  and  women  were  forced  to  undertake  every  re¬ 
sponsibility  if  its  life  was  to  be  maintained.  At  one  time,  one 
of  the  mothers,  Mrs.  Valentine  Ripley,  boarded  the  minister, 
when  they  had  one,  was  superintendent  of  the  Sunday-school, 
taught  a  class,  played  the  melodeon,  raised  the  hymns,  had  the 
church  cleaned  and  the  fires  made. 

Later,  for  reason  of  lack  of  men,  the  church  appointed 
three  women  to  serve  in  the  office  of  deacon.  These  were 
Mrs.  Annie  Anderson,  Mrs.  C.  C.  Jordon,  and  Mrs.  Lila 
Ripley  Barnwell,  who  held  their  appointment  until  they  found 
a  suitable  opportunity  to  resign  in  favor  of  men. 

Today  they  have  a  beautiful  building  and  a  flourishing 
organization,  in  keeping  with  the  growth  and  prosperity  of 
Hendersonville,  which  is  one  of  the  attractive  centres  for  tour¬ 
ists  both  in  winter  and  summer,  “in  the  land  of  the  skies.” 

1870-1912. 

Between  the  years  of  1870  and  1912,  nearly  every  church 
has  something  to  tell  of  the  devotion  and  achievement  of  women 
organized  in  Missionary  and  Ladies’  Aid  Societies.  It  is  in¬ 
teresting  to  note,  however,  that  in  most  instances  the  first  or- 


110 


Pioneer  Women 


ganizations  of  this  period  were  Missionary  and  it  was  in  the 
banding  together  of  women  for  the  study  and  help  of  missionary 
enterprises  that  they  gained  their  first  experience  in  the  value 
of  organization. 

In  the  Drapers  Valley  Church,  Virginia,  a  Missionary 
Society  was  organized  in  1870,  because  of  the  great  interest 
aroused  when  Rev.  G.  W.  Painter  went  out  from  that  church 
as  a  missionary  to  China.  Many  of  the  women  were  related 
to  him  by  ties  of  blood,  and  all  by  the  ties  of  friendship.  This 
was  the  beginning  of  a  very  live  missionary  spirit  in  this 
church.  A  fact  worthy  of  note  is  that  the  first  suggestion  of 
forming  a  Missionary  Union  for  Abingdon  Presbytery,  came 
from  this  society  in  1894.  The  idea  was  suggested  by  the  pas¬ 
tor,  Rev.  George  H.  Gilmer,  who  assisted  in  preparing  an  over¬ 
ture  to  Presbytery,  asking  permission  to  form  such  an  organi¬ 
zation,  but  it  was  lost. 

In  Abingdon  Church,  Virginia,  the  first  attempt  at  united 
work  by  the  women  was  started  by  Misses  Bettie  White  and 
Ellen  Preston,  in  the  year  1870.  Associated  with  them  was  a 
small  group  of  young  women  whose  hearts  were  filled  with  an 
earnest  desire  for  personal  service.  They  solicited  from  their 
friends  orders  for  sewing,  and  met  at  regular  intervals  from 
house  to  house,  for  an  all  day  “sewing  bee.”  The  money 
thus  realized  was  used  in  making  a  sidewalk  in  front  of  the 
church,  and  necessary  work  on  the  church  lawn.  Church  work 
in  those  early  days,  like  the  workers,  had  to  “grow  up.” 

Very  early  in  the  ’70’s,  Mrs.  Sarah  E.  Meem  organized 
a  children’s  missionary  society,  which  existed  for  a  brief  time; 
only  the  name  of  the  treasurer  is  available — Virgie  Gildersleeve. 
An  amusing  story  is  handed  down  in  connection  with  the  dis¬ 
charge  of  the  duties  of  her  office.  A  financial  report  was 
expected  at  each  meeting,  and  as  the  treasurer  made  use  of  an 
antique  dresser  drawer  as  a  receptacle  for  her  wardrobe  and 
treasury  as  well,  there  was  always  great  excitement  when  the 
time  came  to  locate  the  stray  pennies  scattered  loosely  through 


APPALACHIA 


111 


the  clothing.  The  nervous  strain  was  too  much  for  her,  and 
she  had  to  be  relieved  from  the  burden.  A  new  treasurer  was 
appointed,  who  kept  offerings  tied  up  in  a  corner  of  her 
pocket  handkerchief,  and  counted  them  daily  (sometimes  oft- 
ener),  occasionally  weeping  at  the  thought  of  being  robbed  of 
this  great  treasure.  She,  however,  was  made  of  “sterner  stuff” 
than  Virgie,  and  held  on  to  her  office,  even  continuing  in  it 
to  this  day,  Miss  Emma  Hagy. 

In  1875  a  second  Children’s  Band  was  organized  by  Miss 
Margaret  Preston.  The  president  was  Bessie  Gildersleeve,  vice- 
president,  Mary  Hawes,  secretary,  Mamie  Campbell,  treasurer, 
Emma  Hagy.  It  is  interesting  to  know  that  the  president  was 
five  years  old,  and  the  monthly  dues  one  penny.  It  was  com¬ 
posed  of  eight  members  and  four  honorary  members,  the  latter 
being  four  fathers!  They  expressed  their  deep  interest  in  the 
work  of  these  babies  by  paying  one  dollar  each  per  year,  into 
the  treasury.  These  little  ones  began  their  work  with  one 
spool  of  thread  and  one  ball  of  knitting  cotton.  The  thread 
was  converted  into  one  yard  of  crochet  trimming,  the  ball  of 
cotton  into  a  table  mat.  The  sale  of  these  articles  formed  a 
nucleus  for  further  efforts.  After  ten  years  of  labor  there  stood 
to  their  credit  about  $320.00,  which  was  used  for  two  objects 
which  stand  today  as  memorials  to  the  earnestness  of  these 
children;  $60.00  was  used  to  enlarge  the  kitchen  of  the  manse, 
and  $260.00  bought  the  solid  brass  pulpit  which  adorns  the 
church  today. 

In  1886  these  girls  had  grown  up  sufficiently  to  be  or¬ 
ganized  into  the  Young  Ladies’  Missionary  Society.  Still  keep¬ 
ing  their  treasurer,  Miss  Emma  Hagy,  they  contributed  regu¬ 
larly  to  the  support  of  the  Abingdon  Church  Missionary,  Mrs. 
James  Woods  of  China. 

During  these  years  the  women  of  Abingdon  Church  main¬ 
tained  their  own  special  interests  through  a  Ladies’  Aid  Society, 
and  also  a  Missionary  Society,  and  for  a  number  of  years  were 
able  to  support  a  Missionary  of  their  own,  Mrs.  Cowan  of 


112 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


Brazil.  When  they  were  caught  in  the  grip  of  “increased  cost,” 
they  were  compelled  to  abandon  this  endeavor  and  direct  their 
funds  to  helping  with  the  support  of  their  church  Missionary. 
Their  efforts  are  all  united  today  in  the  Abingdon  Woman’s 
Auxiliary. 

Two  of  the  Tennessee  churches  tell  of  interesting  memorials 
for  leaders  in  missionary  effort.  In  the  Jonesboro  church,  Miss 
Sue  Deaderick  had  been  an  inspiring  leader  for  many  years. 
On  her  death,  her  sister,  Mrs.  Robert  B.  Glenn,  gave  as  a 
memorial  to  her,  a  missionary  boat,  bearing  the  name  of  “The 
Susan  Deaderick,”  which  sails  on  a  river  near  Hangchow, 
China,  and  has  carried  the  name  of  Jesus  to  thousands. 

In  the  Rogersville  church  three  memorials  were  estab¬ 
lished,  “The  Helen  Pierce  Cot”  in  the  Tsing-Kiang-Pu  Hos¬ 
pital,  “The  Margaret  Armstrong”  scholarship  in  the  Hashing 
High  School,  China,  and  the  “Margaret  Virginia  Powel 
Scholarship,”  in  Lavras,  Brazil.  The  Rogersville  church,  which 
is  one  of  the  old  pioneer  churches  of  that  section,  has  passed 
through  stormy  times.  There  have  been  divisions  in  their 
midst,  owing  first  to  “Old  School”  and  “New  School”  con- 

-a 

troversies,  and  then  to  Union  and  Confederate  sentiments;  but 
the  breaches  were  finally  all  healed,  and  their  differences  over¬ 
come  by  missionary  zeal.  This  spirit  has  been  carefully  fos¬ 
tered  among  the  young  people  also. 

The  First  Church  of  Knoxville  has  a  proud  history  of 
missionary  service,  their  organization  dating  back  to  1870. 
They  were  one  of  the  first  churches  to  adopt  the  Auxiliary  Circle 
Plan,  and  have  developed  it  to  such  a  point  of  efficiency  and 
breadth  of  service  as  to  be  one  of  the  models  for  others  to 
study. 

MRS.  T.  H.  McCALLIE 

The  First  Church  of  Chattanooga  and  the  Knoxville  Pres- 
byterial,  honor  the  name  and  memory  of  Mrs.  T.  H.  McCallie, 
or  “Mother  McCallie,”  as  she  is  affectionately  called.  She 


APPALACHIA 


113 


was  born  in  Athens,  Tenn.,  in  1841,  Ellen  Douglas  Jarnagin, 
the  daughter  of  Hon.  Spencer  Jarnagin.  When  but  twenty 
years  old,  while  teaching  school  in  Cleveland,  Tenn.,  she  met 
and  married  the  Rev.  Thomas  Hooker  McCallie,  then  pastor 
of  the  Cleveland  church.  Soon  after  Mr.  McCallie  was  called 
to  the  First  Presbyterian  Church  of  Chattanooga.  He  says 
in  his  diary:  “If  ever  two  young  people  were  married  in 
times  of  distress,  it  was  these  two.”  Soon  Chattanooga  be¬ 
came  a  veritable  storm  centre.  The  McCallie  home  was  not 
only  a  refuge  for  friends  and  fellow  ministers,  but  for  wounded 
soldiers  of  both  sides.  The  young  bride  was  tireless  in  her 
efforts  to  help  her  husband  care  for  his  large  household  of 
both  white  and  black.  Oftentimes  starvation  was  staring  them 
in  the  face.  Through  it  all  Mrs.  McCallie  kept  the  buoyant 
spirits  that  characterized  her  all  through  her  life. 

During  the  years  of  Dr.  McCallie’s  pastorate,  she  was 
active  in  all  church  work  and  interested  in  all  philanthropic 
work  of  the  city.  ,She  organized  the  first  Missionary  Society  in 
Chattanooga.  She  became  interested  in  the  need  of  orphans, 
and  as  a  result  the  Vine  Street  Orphans’  Home  was  organized 
and  has  continued  in  operation  for  more  than  forty  years.  She 
was  one  of  the  original  proposers  for  a  home  for  working  girls, 
and  worked  constantly  until  the  Willard  Home  was  built.  She 
was  also  intensely  interested  in  the  Young  Woman’s  Chris¬ 
tian  Association,  and  was  instrumental  in  bringing  a  branch 
to  Chattanooga.  For  many  years  she  was  president  of  the  local 
W.  C.  T.  U. 

She  has  a  son,  Rev.  H.  P.  McCallie,  who  is  a  missionary 
in  Mokpo,  Korea.  After  she  had  passed  her  seventieth  birth¬ 
day,  she  with  her  son  Dr.  J.  P.  McCallie,  visited  the  various 
mission  fields  of  China,  Japan  and  Korea.  On  her  return  she 
reached  Moscow,  on  the  day  war  was  declared  between  Russia 
and  Germany,  and  only  after  hardships  and  trying  adventures 
did  she  finally  reach  home.  She  died  shortly  after  her  return 
in  the  Fall  of  1915. 


114 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


PRESBYTERIAL  ORGANIZATION. 

Knoxville  Presbyterial.  1899. 

In  April  1899,  by  order  of  the  Knoxville  Presbytery,  the 
Women’s  Missionary  Societies  within  its  bounds,  were  asked 
to  send  delegates  to  a  meeting  of  Presbytery  April  19,  at  Cleve¬ 
land,  Tenn.,  to  organize  a  Presbyterial  Union.  Delegates  were 
sent  from  Missionary  Ridge;  First  Church,  Chattanooga;  First 
Church,  Knoxville;  Third  Church  Knoxville;  Oliver  Springs; 
Sweetwater  and  Cleveland.  The  women  were  ably  assisted  in 
their  organization  by  Miss  Davidson,  Missionary  on  furlough 
from  Hangchow,  China.  Mrs.  T.  H.  McCallie  was  chairman 
of  the  committee  to  prepare  a  constitution.  Mrs.  R.  A.  Mc- 
Ferrin  of  Oliver  Springs  was  elected  the  first  president. 

Holston  Presbyterial.  1904. 

The  Missionary  Union  of  Holston  Presbytery  was  or¬ 
ganized  in  Johnson  City,  Tenn.,  November  16,  1904,  by  the 
pastor  of  the  church,  Rev.  J.  Edmunds  Brown.  There  were 
present  sixteen  delegates  from  ten  societies.  Mrs.  W.  L.  Mc¬ 
Farland  of  Windsor  Aye.  Church,  Bristol,  was  elected  the  first 
president.  The  organization  of  societies  in  churches  where 
none  existed,  was  made  the  special  object  of  the  Union,  and  at 
that  meeting  each  society  represented  was  assigned  one  or  more 
churches  in  which  to  labor  to  that  end  during  the  ensuing  year. 
The  history  of  this  Presbyterial  has  been  closely  linked  up 
with  the  general  mission  work  of  this  mountain  section  within 
which  there  are  a  number  of  mission  schools. 

Abingdon  Presbyterial.  1904. 

An  effort  was  made  to  organize  this  Presbyterial  in  the 
early  ’90’s,  when  a  committee  in  Abingdon  Presbytery,  with 
Rev.  George  H.  Gilmer  chairman,  overtured  Presbytery.  This 
committee  had  been  appointed  at  the  request  of  the  Ladies’ 
Missionary  Society  of  Drapers  Valley  Church.  There  was 
much  opposition  to  the  movement  in  Presbytery  and  the  report 


APPALACHIA 


115 


of  the  committee  was  rejected  by  a  tie  vote  which  killed  the 
Union  for  that  time.  Later  it  was  reconsidered  and  permission 
granted.  Organization  took  place  in  1904  in  Glade  Spring 
Church. 

Asheville  Preshyterial.  1906. 

At  the  1906  Spring  meeting  of  Asheville  Presbytery  it 
was  recommended  that  “the  women’s  missionary  societies  with¬ 
in  its  bounds  be  federated  as  a  means  of  uniting  the  forces  in 
a  more  systematic  and  effective  home  and  foreign  work.”  Ac¬ 
cordingly  representative  women  from  the  twelve  societies  of  the 
Presbytery  assembled  in  the  First  Presbyterian  Church  of 
Asheville,  August  30,  1906,  for  the  purpose  of  organization. 
Mrs.  Charity  Rush  Craig  of  Asheville  was  temporary  chairman, 
and  Dr.  R.  P.  Smith  and  Dr.  R.  T.  Campbell  lent  them  valu¬ 
able  assistance.  A  Constitution  was  adopted  and  the  chairman 
instructed  to  have  it  submitted  to  Asheville  Presbytery  for  ap¬ 
proval.  Mrs.  C.  M.  Gibbon  of  Asheville  was  elected  the  first 
president. 

From  its  very  beginning  the  Union  has  been  ably  assisted 
by  Dr.  R.  P.  Smith,  Superintendent  of  Home  Missions  in  the 
Presbytery. 

Special  mention  should  be  made  of  the  three  women  who 
have  had  much  to  do  with  the  growth  of  the  Presbyterial — Mrs. 
W.  H.  Davis,  President;  Mrs.  R.  P.  Smith,  Corresponding 
Secretary;  Mrs.  Kate  Pegues,  Recording  Secretary.  Imbued 
with  the  same  deep  purpose,  laboring  together  as  warm  friends, 
they  have  left  a  splendid  impress.  Knowing  the  mountain 
people,  going  in  and  out  of  their  homes,  touching  lives  with 
them  in  joy  and  sorrow — this  is  one  explanation  of  the  hold 
and  influence  of  these  good  women  throughout  the  bounds  of 
this  mountain  Presbyterial.  Mrs.  Pegues  had  a  knowledge  of 
the  churches  and  people  of  the  Presbytery  which  was  re¬ 
markable.  With  her  own  hands  she  prepared  a  large  wall  map 
of  the  Presbytery,  locating  all  of  the  churches,  schools,  or- 


116 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


phanges,  Mission  Sunday-schools,  preaching  points,  etc.  It  is 
a  complete  chart  of  the  work  of  Asheville  Presbytery,  contain¬ 
ing  on  its  margin  much  valuable  historical  data.  It  is  care¬ 
fully  preserved  by  the  Home  Mission  Committee  as  an  im¬ 
portant  historical  record  and  as  a  priceless  memorial  of  one 
who  loved  the  work  with  greatest  devotion. 

THE  SYNODICAL  AUXILIARY  OF  APPALACHIA.  1916 

The  organization  meeting  of  the  Synodical  of  Appalachia 
was  held  in  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  Morristown,  Tenn.,  on 
the  evening  of  November  18,  1915.  It  was  the  pleasure  of  the 
meeting  to  have  Mrs.  Winsborough  present  to  guide  and  direct 
the  organization.  Mrs.  Winsborough  was  elected  chairman  of 
the  meeting  and  Mrs.  Gale  Armstrong,  Secretary  pro  tern. 

There  were  fourteen  delegates  present:  Knoxville  Presby- 
terial  had  four;  Holston,  six;  Abingdon,  three;  Asheville,  one. 

It  was  decided  to  hold  election  by  nominating  Committee, 
.  and  the  chair  appointed  the  Presbyterial  Presidents  in  this 
capacity.  After  careful  deliberation  the  committee  submitted 
names  for  all  offices,  Mrs.  Walter  McCoy,  of  Knoxville,  head¬ 
ing  the  list  for  President.  These  were  duly  elected. 

The  newly  elected  officers  who  were  present  were  loath  to 
accept  the  honors  and  responsibilities  thus  thrust  upon  them, 
realizing  their  unfamiliarity  with  the  new  work  and  having 
a  due  sense  of  its  importance;  and  many  were  the  protestations, 
silenced  at  last  by  the  solemn  words  of  the  Superintendent  of 
Woman’s  Work,  Mrs.  Winsborough,  on  Facing  our  Responsi¬ 
bilities. 

The  time  of  meeting  was  fixed  for  the  early  part  of 
October.  A  constitution  was  adopted  and  all  routine  business 
dispatched  in  good  order. 

One  interesting  feature  of  the  sessions  was  a  “Question 
Box,”  opened  and  answered  by  Mrs.  Winsborough.  Two  ques¬ 
tions  especially  gave  her  opportunity  for  very  interesting  and 


APPALACHIA 


117 


helpful  talks,  viz.:  “The  Problem  of  the  Indifferent  Woman,” 
and  “Why  Should  the  Society  Join  the  Presbyterial?” 

Addresses  were  made  by  Rev.  Adolphus  Kistler  of  Abing¬ 
don  Presbytery  on  the  needs  of  the  great  new  Synod,  and  by 
Rev.  Cary  Blain  of  Pineville,  Ky.,  on  the  special  need  for 
women  workers  in  the  mission  fields  of  the  Synod. 


ARKANSAS 


119 


ARKANSAS 


120 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


Mrs.  J.  B.  Nunn,  First  President  of 
Arkansas  Synodical. 


ARKANSAS 


121 


ARKANSAS 

In  the  year,  1827,  a  young  student  was  about  to  be  grad¬ 
uated  from  Princton  Theological  Seminary,  by  the  name  of 
James  W.  Moore,  who  was  born  and  raised  in  Northumberland 
County,  Pennsylvania.  He  had  decided  that  the  territory  of 
Arkansas  should  be  the  field  of  his  labors,  and  on  announc¬ 
ing  his  decision  to  Dr.  Ely,  the  Secretary  of  the  General 
.Assembly’s  Board  of  Missions,  he  was  told;  “We  know  but 
little  about  Arkansas.  According  to  the  best  of  my  information, 
its  inhabitants  are  chiefly  composed  of  Spaniards  and  horse 
thieves,  but”  he  continued,  “they  have  the  more  need  of  a  good 
minister,  and  if  you  desire  it,  we  will  give  you  a  commission.” 

In  no  way  discouraged  in  his  purpose  by  such  a  presenta¬ 
tion  of  conditions,  he  set  forth  in  the  fall  of  1827,  traveling 
westward  by  stage  coach  and  by  boat  on  the  Ohio,  Mississippi 
and  Arkansas  Rivers,  arriving  several  months  later  at  Little 
Rock,  the  tiny  metropolis  of  a  wild,  unsettled  region. 

Here  he  found  a  village  of  only  nineteen  families,  fifteen 
of  which  were  white.  There  were  only  six  professing  Chris¬ 
tians  in  the  place  and  three  of  these  were  negro  slaves.  Evi¬ 
dences  of  lawlessness  abounded,  and  he  soon  learned  that  little 
value  was  placed  on  human  life. 

Immediately,  the  hospitality  of  a  Mrs.  Watkins  was  ex¬ 
tended  to  him,  and  three  nights  after  his  arrival,  her  home  was 
opened  for  a  prayer  meeting  with  which  his  mission  started. 
He  received  a  warm  welcome  from  the  leading  people  of  the  town 
including  Mr.  Robert  Crittenden,  the  Secretary  of  the  Territory, 
and  Mrs.  Crittenden.  In  Mr.  Moore’s  diary,  was  the  following 
entry:  “I  found  them  a  most  interesting  and  amiable  couple. 
They  both  welcomed  me  with  expressions  of  friendship  They 
appear  very  desirous  of  regular  preaching,  convinced  that  the 


122 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


Gospel  will  prove  the  speediest  and  most  efficient  means  of 
restraining  vice  and  introducing  correct  morals.” 

After  about  six  months  of  evangelistic  services,  in  which 
due  interest  was  manifested  on  the  part  of  all  classes  of  people, 
Mr.  Moore  decided  the  time  was  ripe  for  the  organization  of  a 
church,  which  took  place  on  July  27th,  1828,  and  was  followed 
by  a  Communion  Service.  There  were  seven  persons  ready  to 
unite,  five  of  them  women — Mrs.  Priscilla  Smith,  Mrs.  Matilda 
Hall,  Mrs.  Catherine  Eller,  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Martin  and  Mrs. 
Christiana  Mason.  Of  the  two  men,  Mr.  Dudley  Mason  was 
made  an  Elder,  and  Mr.  Jesse  Brown  a  Deacon.  Mr.  Moore 
wrote  in  his  diary:  “To  see'  these  persons  of  excellent  character 
and  of  unquestionable  piety  seated  around  the  Table  of  the 
■Lord,  commemorating  a  Crucified  Redeemer’s  death,  while  a 
vast  number  of  spectators  were  looking  on  with  intense  interest 
and  so  far  as  I  could  discover,  with  deep  respect  and  solemnity, 
was  a  sight  which  in  any  part  of  the  world  would  have  been 
interesting,  but  in  this  distant  region  of  religious  dearth,  it  was 
immeasurably  so.”  Thus  began  the  First  Church  of  Little 
Rock,  which  probably  was  the  first  organization  of  any 
denomination  in  the  territory. 

Mr.  Moore  was  a  most  zealous  worker,  and  in  addition 
to  the  services  in  the  First  Church,  he  preached  regularly  to 
the  slaves,  several  of  whom  he  mentions  in  his  diary,  as  among 
the  most  earnest  and  devoted  Christians  he  had  ever  known. 

With  the  coming  of  Rev.  Daniel  Gray  and  Rev.  A.  R. 
Banks  to  the  Territory,  Mr.  Moore  petitioned  the  Synod  of 
Mississippi,  of  which  Arkansas  was  a  part,  for  the  erection 
of  the  Presbytery  of  Arkansas,  which  was  to  include  the  work 
among  the  Choctaw  Indians  in  Indian  Territory.  This  was 
granted  in  1835,  and  the  stated  meetings  of  this  court  were 
held  annually,  although  it  meant  long  distances  to  travel  with 
no  roads,  no  bridges,  no  means  of  transportation,  excepting 
horseback,  and  no  hotel  accommodations  on  the  way.  For 
three  years,  this  continued,  the  Arkansas  ministers  meeting 


ARKANSAS 


123 


with  Rev.  Alfred  Wright,  Rev.  Cyrus  Byington,  Rev.  Loring 
Williams  and  Rev.  Ebenezer  Hotchkins,  all  of  them  heroes 
in  the  early  missionary  service  to  the  Choctaw  Indians.  With 
each  year,  new  evangelists  and  home  mission  workers  were 
welcomed  and  new  preaching  points  were  reported,  and  tiny 
churches  organized.  But  distances  proved  too  great  for  this 
combination  of  territory,  and  Arkansas  was  established  as  a 
Presbytery  to  itself.  The  work  developed  rapidly,  as  the 
country  was  opened  up  for  settlement  by  those  who  were  home 
seekers,  rather  than  searchers  for  rich  mineral  deposits,  and 
the  acquisition  of  sudden  wealth. 

In  1852,  Arkansas  was  made  a  Synod  of  the  church  and 
the  work  grew  rapidly,  until  the  Civil  War  was  upon  the 
country.  The  territory  elected  to  cast  in  its  lot  with  the  South¬ 
ern  States  and  the  Synod  of  Arkansas  then  became  a  part 
cf  the  new  Southern  Assembly. 

The  First  Church  of  Little  Rock  maintained  a  steady 
growth  and  it  is  to  be  regretted  that  there  is  no  recorded  his¬ 
tory  of  the  earnest  work  of  those  five  pioneer  women,  whose 
characters  were  builded  into  this  splendid  church  on  the  frontier. 
After  outgrowing  two  buildings,  a  third  was  erected  in  1869,  and 
the  women,  with  the  help  of  Senator  McDonald,  provided  a 
sweet-toned  bell  as  a  call  to  worship,  which  was  the  only 
church  bell  in  Little  Rock.  Lately  it  has  been  rehung  in  the 
beautiful  modern  structure  of  the  First  Church  of  today.* 

That  this  is  a  missionary  church,  there  is  no  doubt,  for 
Rev.  Wm.  Morrison,  D.  D.,  our  illustrious  missionary  to 
Luebo,  Africa,  was  its  co-pastor  in  foreign  lands. 

The  story  of  the  beginning  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  in 
Eashville,  Arkansas,  is  typical  of  that  of  many  of  the  small 
town  churches  of  the  State.  In  the  year  1900,  this  town  num¬ 
bered  about  1800  inhabitants,  with  only  one  Presbyterian. 
Mrs.  W.  C.  Rodgers.  In  writing  of  the  circumstances  there. 

*The  above  information  was  gathered  from  the  historical  studies  of  General 
Ben  Green  of  Little  Rock,  Ark. 


124 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


she  said:  “After  some  work  among  women  of  the  Episcopal 
Church,  I  grew  restive.  My  old  Scotch,  Blue-Stocking  Pres 
byterianism  of  the  Eighteenth  Century,  began  to  assert  itself, 
and  I  yearned  for  a  church  of  my  own  with  an  ‘aid’  of  my 
own.”  Accordingly,  she  awakened  interest  among  some  friends 
and  with  no  beacon  light  to  guide,  save  service  and  desire  tc 
help,  she  and  her  co-workers  took  the  initial  steps  which  have 
led  into  an  organized  strong  church,  with  an  auxiliary  of 
which  they  are  duly  proud,  contributing  to  all  the  causes  of 
the  church. 

PRESBYTERIAL  ORGANIZATION. 

* 

Arkansas,  1907. 

In  the  spring  of  1898,  a  group  of  ladies  met  in  the  Second 
Presbyterian  Church  of  Little  Rock,  Mrs.  W.  ,S.  McCain  pre¬ 
siding,  and  organized  the  Arkansas  Presbyterial.  This  move¬ 
ment,  however,  was  premature,  and  lapsed  after  the  second 
meeting.  In  1907,  the  Presbyterial  was  reorganized,  with  Mrs 
J.  E.  Williams  President. 

Ouachita,  1905. 

Ouachita  Presbyterial  was  organized  at  Camden,  Octo¬ 
ber,  1905,  seventeen  societies  being  represented. 

Pine  Bluff,  1908. 

Representatives  from  four  societies  met  in  Fordyce,  Octo¬ 
ber,  1908,  and  organized  the  Pine  Bluff  Presbyterial. 

SYNODICAL  ORGANIZATION,  1912. 

On  the  16th  of  April,  1912,  ten  ladies  met  in  the  Firsl 
Presbyterian  Church  of  Little  Rock,  and  organized  the  Woman’s 
Synodical  Auxiliary  of  Arkansas.  Officers,  Mrs.  J.  B.  Nunn 
President;  Mrs.  M.  J.  Henderson,  Recording  Secretary;  Mrs 
A.  L.  Cheatham,  Treasurer.  A  tentative  Constitution  was 
presented  by  Mrs.  H.  N.  Street. 

In  order  to  align  itself  more  closely  with  the  Assembly’s 
work,  a  second  meeting  was  held  in  Little  Rock,  October  12th, 


ARKANSAS 


125 


1912.  The  newly  elected  Superintendent  of  the  Department 
of  Woman’s  Work,  Mrs.  W.  C.  Winsborough,  was  present,  and 
the  meeting  was  devoted  to  the  study  of  the  proposed  consti¬ 
tution,  to  outlining  the  purpose  and  scope  of  the  Synodical, 
and  the  duties  of  the  several  officers. 

Washburn,  1913. 

That  the  organization  of  the  state  might  be  complete, 
Mrs.  Winsborough  was  invited  to  visit,  and  if  the  way  be 
clear,  assist  in  organizing  the  Washburn  Presbyterial.  This 
was  done  at  Fort  Smith,  January  14th,  1913. 

The  second  annual  meeting  of  Synodical  was  held  in 
Hope,  April,  1913.  Nine  delegates  were  present,  all  Pres- 
byterials  being  represented.  A  Constitution  and  By-Laws  were 
adopted.  Some  practical  suggestions  were  sent  down  to  the 
Presbyterials  and  local  societies  in  regard  to  methods  of  work 
and  some  recommendations  were  made  to  the  Woman’s  Ad¬ 
visory  Council.  It  was  characteristic  and  promising  that  both 
were  largely  concerned  with  the  subject  of  prayer  and  greater 
spirituality. 

The  third  annual  meeting  was  held  in  Warren  in  the 
Spring  of  1914,  and  the  fourth  in  Argenta,  November,  1915. 
Since  that  date,  for  convenience,  to  promote  attendance  and  to 
arouse  enthusiasm,  the  Synodical  has  met  in  one  or  the  other 
(if  the  Little  Rock  churches. 

For  the  first  few  years,  the  Synodical  devoted  itself  almost 
entirely  to  study,  prayer,  information  and  inspiration.  It  was 
finding  its  place  in  the  work  of  the  church  and  fitting  itself  for 
that  work.  Its  members  had  to  be  trained  in  parliamentary 
tactics,  and  business  practices.  It  was  seeking  to  draw  the 
various  woman’s  societies  together  and  to  increase  the  numbei 
and  membership  of  these.  Indifference  had  to  be  overcome, 
the  fears  of  a  suspicious  conservatism  allayed,  old  lines  had 
to  be  broken  through,  and  new  channels  of  service  opened. 
Those  were  formative,  determinative  and  critical  years. 


126 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


The  meeting  of  1916  was  well  attended,  and  enthusiastic. 
The  Synodical  had  increased  eighty-five  per  cent.  Since  that 
date,  a  committee  on  advancement  has  been  a  permanent  fea¬ 
ture  and  there  has  been  no  lack  of  definiteness  in  the  work. 

It  has  lent  a  willing  ear  to  every  cause,  religious  or  phil¬ 
anthropic,  multiplied  prayer-bands  and  study  clubs,  borne  its 
share  in  equipping  a  home  for  the  Woman’s  Advisory  Council 
in  Montreat,  given  a  scholarship  to  a  Mexican  theological  stu¬ 
dent,  assisted  in  holding  Summer  Conferences  in  Womble,  Hot 
Springs  and  Batesville,  contributed  towards  building  homes 
for  missionaries  in  Africa,  and  towards  a  chapel  in  Japan,  be¬ 
sides  each  year  steadily  increasing  its  contributions  to  the  As¬ 
sembly’s  causes.  The  steadfastness  of  its  loyalty  to  the  Synod 
and  Assembly  is  equal  to  the  courage  of  its  initiative. 

The  largest  pieces  of  consrtuctive  work  undertaken  by  the 
Synodical  has  been  in  connection  with  the  Mountain  Crest 
School,  founded  by  Rev.  and  Mrs.  J.  E.  Jeter,  under  the  care 
of  Washburn  Presbytery.  Under  the  enthusiastic  leadership 
and  splendid  business  ability  of  Mrs.  J.  E.  Williams,  as  treas¬ 
urer,  the  school  was  adopted  as  a  special  charge  in  1918,  and 
with  the  assistance  of  the  Assembly’s  Home  Mission  Commit¬ 
tee,  the  running  expenses  have  been  met,  buildings  erected  and 
furnished  and  a  Board  of  Managers,  fifteen  in  number,  have 
been  appointed.  At  its  meeting  in  1921,  the  Synod  recogniz¬ 
ing  this  splendid  and  successful  work,  set  aside  for  the  support 
of  the  school  two  per  cent  of  its  benevolences. 

The  committee  on  Woman’s  Work,  through  the  chairman, 
Dr.  W.  K.  Johnson,  reported  to  the  Synod  in  session  at  Blythe- 
ville:  “The  wonderful  success  of  the  Synodical  Auxiliary  ot 
Arkansas  for.  the  past  year  is  cause  for  deep  gratitude  to  God 
for  His  guidance  and  answered  prayer.  The  prayer  life  of  the 
Auxiliary  has  been  emphasized  this  year  as  never  before. 

“We  recommend:  That  the  Synod  express  its  most  hearty 
appreciation  and  approval  of  the  splendid  work  of  the  Woman’s 
Synodical  Auxiliary  during  the  year,  their  consecrated  zeal 


ARKANSAS 


12? 


their  aggressive  methods,  their  enthusiastic  support  of  the 
Mountain  Crest  School,  and  their  splendid  gifts  to  all  the 
Assembly’s  causes  during  the  year.” 

Mrs.  H.  N.  Street. 

Arkansas  is  proud  of  her  daughters  as  leaders  in  many 
lines  of  Christian  work.  Among  them  we  would  not  fail  to 
enroll  the  name  of  Mrs.  H.  N.  Street  as  teacher  of  Bible 
Classes.  Mrs.  Street’s  personal  magnetism,  added  to  her 
spiritual  power  has  made  of  her  a  source  of  Godly  influence 
not  only  in  her  own  home  but  beyond  its  borders. 


CRZDA 


130  PIONEER  WOMEN 


Mrs.  W.  H.  Dodge,  First  President 
of  Florida  Synodical  Auxiliary. 


FLORIDA 


131 


FLORIDA 

EARLY  HISTORY. 

.Seeking  adventure,  gold,  and  a  treasure  even  more 
precious  than  gold — the  fabled  fountain  whose  waters  would 
make  young  forever  all  mortals  who  should  drink  of  it,  that 
brave  soldier  and  Spanish  gentleman,  Juan  Ponce  de  Leon,  re¬ 
turned  to  the  shores  of  the  new  world  in  1513. 

On  that  Easter  Sunday,  de  Leon  gave  the  name  of  Florida 
to  the  country  and  planted  in  her  sands  a  cross,  thus  giving  the 
peninsula  the  enviable  record  of  being  the  first  section  of  our 
land  to  be  explored. 

The  year  1521  found  him  again  upon  Florida  soil  with 
.settlers  to  colonize  this  land  of  promise.  In  his  party  he 
brought  priests  to  teach  the  Indians,  who  violently  attacked 
the  colonists  and  forced  them  to  abandon  all  idea  of  settling 
Florida. 

For  three  hundred  years  the  history  of  Florida  was  in- 
/deed  checkered.  Indians,  French,  English  and  Spanish  con* 
ttended  for  her  beautiful  and  fertile  acres. 

,  First  to  her  shores  had  come  the  Spanish  Roman  Cath¬ 
olics,  bringing  with  them  an  earnest  desire  to  give  the  Indians 
their  faith. 

..  Also  did  the  Protestants  seek  this  fair  land  as  a  refuge. 
Ribault  and  his  brave  band  of  Huguenots,  driven  from  France 
by  persecution,  sought  freedom  here.  Had  not  this  colony 
'of  Protestants  been  so  totally  destroyed  by  the  Roman  Catholic 
Spaniards,  we  know  not  what  would  have  been  the  history  of 
the  development  and  advancement  of  Protestantism  in  this 
country.  For  these  staunch  Calvanists  had  come  to  this  sec¬ 
tion  of  the  new  world  fifty-odd  years  in  advance  of  the  Pilgrims 
fi)  Plymouth. 


132 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


With  East  Florida  settled  chiefly  by  the  Spaniard,  and 
West  Florida  by  the  Spanish  and  French  Roman  Catholics> 
Protestantism  made  slow  progress  in  the  early  days.  British 
occupation  in  the  eighteenth  century  brought  Protestant  settlers, 
but  when  in  1783  England  ceded  Florida  back  to  Spain,  with 
very  few  exceptions,  those  colonists  withdrew. 

Presbyterians  began  to  flow  into  this  wild  and  unde¬ 
veloped  country  early  in  the  nineteenth  century,  chiefly  from 
the  Carolinas  and  Georgia. 

With  the  annexation  of  Florida  to  the  United  States,  July, 
1821,  when  General  Jackson  received  it  from  Spain  at  St. 
Augustine  and  Pensacola,  the  United  States  flags  replaced  those 
of  .Spain. 

Some  adventurous  Americans  had  made  homes  for  them¬ 
selves  in  the  territory  without  waiting  for  the  exchange  of  flags. 
Among  these  was  Neil  M.  McLendon,  a  hardy  pioneer,  who, 
in  the  spring  of  1820,  made  his  way  into  what  is  now  Walton 
County.  He  was  the  first  white  man  who  had  entered  that 
region  for  the  purpose  of  making  a  home.  His  parents  had 
come  from  Scotland  to  Wilmington,  North  Carolina,  but 
McLendon  liked  the  pioneer  life  and  when  North  Carolina 
became  more  thickly  settled,  said  he  must  go  to  a  new  country 
for  “elbow-room.” 

There  was  “elbow-room”  in  Florida,  so  with  his  wife  and 
children  he  set  out  on  his  journey  along  the  Indian  trail  leading 
from  the  Atlantic  Coast  to  the  Spanish  settlements  on  the  Gulf 
Coast.  They  were  often  hungry,  and  suffered  many  hardships 
on  their  way  through  the  forest. 

He  remained  several  months  in  what  is  now  Santa  Rosa 
County,  then  leaving  his  family  there,  continued  his  journey  on 
loot  into  the  Euchee  Valley.  On  the  way  he  found  a  tribe 
of  Euchee  Indians,  and  met  their  Chief.  McLendon  and  the 
Chief  trusted  and  liked  each  other  from  the  very  beginning. 
In  proof  of  this  feeling  the  Chief  presented  McLendon  with 


FLORIDA 


133 


his  tomahawk,  and  invited  him  to  live  with  him  and  to  take 
for  his  own  as  much  land  as  he  chose  to  “blaze  around.” 

This  country  seemed  just  what  McLendon  had  been  look¬ 
ing  for;  so  he  willingly  accepted  the  offer  and  set  off,  to  re¬ 
turn  soon  with  his  wife  and  children.  Before  long  he  was 
joined  by  his  brothers  and  their  families  and  other  friends 
from  North  Carolina,  who  had  been  attracted  and  interested 
by  McLendon’s  letters. 

THE  FIRST  PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCHES. 

«  West  Florida. 

And  so  began  the  white  settlement  of  Walton  County  and 
the  stronghold  of  Presbyterianism  in  West  Florida.  Some  of 
these  friends  settled  on  Bruce’s  Creek,  near  what  is  now  the 
town  of  Eucheanna.  The  town  built  several  years  later,  was 
named  for  McLendon’s  friends,  the  Euchee  Indians,  and  Mrs 
Anna  McLendon,  the  first  white  woman  to  live  there. 

For  eight  or  ten  years,  settlers  of  Scotch  descent  continued 
to  come  to  this  part  of  Florida  from  North  Carolina.  Some 
came  here  directly  from  .Scotland.  Brave,  honest,  and  indus¬ 
trious,  they  were  the  very  people  to  build  up  a  new  country. 
The  ring  of  the  busy  axe  was  a  familiar  sound.  Farms  were 
cleared,  and  herds  of  cattle  and  sheep  roamed  over  the  graz¬ 
ing  lands. 

They  were  a  religious  people,  and  before  they  had  been 
long  in  the  country,  cut  and  sawed  timber,  which  they  carried 
on  their  shoulders  for  the  building  of  a  church  in  the  Euchee 
Valley — The  Euchee  Valley  Presbyterian  Church,  beloved  and 
cherished  to  this  day  by  all  Florida  Presbyterians.  Ministers 
would  come  sometimes  from  Mobile  and  Montgomery  to  preach 
to  the  congregation  in  the  wilderness.  When  they  had  no 
preacher,  they  still  met  together  for  Bible  reading  and  prayer. 

Through  all  adventures  and  enterprises,  Neil  McLendon 
was  the  guiding  spirit,  “Simple,  gentle,  kind,  by  the  spell 


134 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


of  earnest  sincerity,  he  met  the  savage  enemies  of  his  race  in 
the  depths  of  the  wild  woods  alone,  commanding  their  con¬ 
fidence,  respect  and  attachment.  He  beckoned  his  clansmen 
hither,  who,  relying  on  the  guidance  of  this  serpent-wise,  dove- 
tempered  pathfinder,  unhesitatingly  abandoned  secure  homes 
and  followed  his  lead  into  the  unknown.” 

Middle  Florida — 1 822. 

Presbyterians  began  coming  into  Middle  Florida  in  1822, 
and  soon  after  they  were  settled,  they  organized  a  church  about 
four  miles  north  of  where  Quincy  now  is,  and  called  it  Phila¬ 
delphia,  and  in  1828,  they  erected  a  church  building  there, 
tfot  until  1832,  was  there  a  regular  minister  for  this  flock, 
yet  they  were  already  reaching  out,  for  in  1834  the  first  daugh¬ 
ter  of  old  Philadelphia  church  was  organized,  Quincy  Presby¬ 
terian  church. 

East  Florida — Jacksonville — 1840. 

In  East  Florida,  at  Jacksonville,  we  find  the  first  Presby¬ 
terian  church  organized  in  1840,  while  not  until  1854  was  the 
church  building  erected.  The  little  band  used  for  their  place 
of  meeting  a  small  school  house,  situated  on  the  lot  where 
now  stands  the  First  Presbyterian  Church. 

Southern  Florida — 1870. 

While  the  western,  middle  and  eastern  sections  of  the 
state  were  being  more  and  more  built  up  and  settled,  the 
southern  part  of  the  peninsula  was  occupied  by  the  Indians 
prior  to  the  later  Seminole  wars,  except  for  a  few  settlers 
along  the  coast. 

In  that  section,  now  St.  John’s  Presbytery,  the  first  church 
was  organized  in  1870,  the  Silver  Lake  Presbyterian  Church 
at  Fort  Reed,  near  Sanford. 

Woman's  Work. 

In  the  early  years  organized  woman’s  work  in  the  churches 
as  we  know  it  today  was  undreamed  of.  Yet  how  well  do  we 


FLORIDA 


135 


realize  that  the  consecrated  work  of  the  earnest  Scotch  and 
Scotch-Irish  Presbyterian  women  made  possible  the  results  at¬ 
tained  by  the  pioneers  of  our  faith  in  Florida. 

Only  at  the  family  altars  and  mothers’  knees  could  strong 
ideals,  standards,  self-control,  etc.,  be  taught  that  developed 
characters  such  as  Neil  McLendon. 

From  their  firesides,  the  hearts  of  such  women  naturally 
turned,  in  the  Master’s  name,  to  their  neighbors  in  need  of  a 
Saviour,  friendship  or  material  aid.  Each  church  had  its 
Aid  or  Missionary  Society,  or  both,  under  varied  and  some¬ 
times  iparvelous  names. 

Inaccurate  records,  in  fact,  in  the  case  of  many,  no  records 
whatsoever  of  the  early  years,  are  available.  However,  we 
are  assured  that  the  foundation  laid  by  the  grandmothers  and 
great  grandmothers  in  Israel,  was  well  laid.  These  faithful 
pioneer  women  prepared  the  way  and  we  who  come  after  them, 
reap  the  benefit  of  their  prayers  and  work. 

In  the  records  of  one  church,  we  find  the  names  of  the 
five  who  secured  the  funds  for  the  first  church  building,  two 
of  whom  were  women.  In  many  instances  the  women’s  societies 
ante-dated  the  church  organizations  by  several  years.  While 
many  churches  had  their  foundations  laid  in  Sunday-schools  be¬ 
gun  and  conducted  by  the  women. 

Typical  of  the  experience  of  many  of  the  churches  of  the 
earlier  days  in  Florida,  is  the  history  of  the  Silver  Lake  Church, 
of  Fort  Reed.  As  has  often  happened,  a  band  of  devoted 
women,  prayed  for  their  community  for  several  years  before 
the  church  was  organized.  Twelve  women,  with  Jacintha 
Marks  as  organizing  president,  made  up  this  consecrated  band 
that  met  every  .Sunday  for  Divine  worship  in  the  Orange  House, 
a  small  hotel. 

.Soon  after  the  Civil  War,  finances  were  at  a  low  ebb,  and 
all  had  recently  come  as  pioneers  into  this  country,  then  a 
wilderness.  Their  post-office  town  had  but  one  building,  a 
country  store  of  varied  stock.  These  women  did  not  stop  with 


136 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


the  tithe.  There  were  Presbyterian  orange  trees;  Presbyterian 
hens,  consecrated  needles  and  Palmetto  hat-making — all  tc 
make  possible  the  building  of  the  Lord’s  house.  Some  pledged 
themselves  to  purchase  no  dress  more  expensive  than  calico, 
till  the  church  was  paid  for.  After  the  freeze,  Fort  Reed  was 
abandoned.  Most  of  these  women  moved  to  Sanford,  where 
a  mission  had  been  organized  and  here  we  find  them  assisting 
and  holding  office. 

It  is  interesting  to  note  that  even  seventy-five  years  ago, 
the  need  for  adopting  a  budget  was  felt.  The  records  of  a 
Ladies’  Aid  Association  gives  us  this,  “One  time  of  stress  is 
remembered  when  seventeen,  dollars  were  in  the  treasury  for 
the  Foreign  Mission  Fund,  but  as  the  pastor  was  returning 
from  a  visit  to  his  mother,  some  members  insisted  on  using  the 
seventeen  dollars  to  stock  his  pantry;  after  a  heated  discussion, 
the  money  was  sent  to  its  original  destination.” 

As  the  years  advanced  it  is  noted  how  coming  events  seem 
to  cast  their  shadows  before  them.  Societies  which  had  been 
called  Foreign  Missionary  Societies  dropped  the  word  foreign, 
and  began  to  think  of  and  work  for  missions  as  a  whole,  while 
Ladies’  Aid  Societies  and  Missionary  Societies  in  many  cases 
were  merged  into  one  organization.  Thus  the  way  was  being 
paved  for  the  Auxiliary. 

PRESBYTERIAL  ORGANIZATION. 

The  Woman’s  Home  and  Foreign  Mission  Union  of  St.  John’s 

Presbytery — 1 893 . 

In  the  old  minute  book  we  read,  “November  7th,  1893,  a 
meeting  was  held  in  Sanford  for  the  purpose  of  uniting  the 
woman’s  missionary  societies  into  a  Union.  Mrs.  Story,  of 
Orlando,  was  Chairman  and  Mrs.  Dunn,  of  Sanford,  Secretary. 
Mrs.  Keigwin  was  the  moving  spirit.  Societies  joining  the 
Union  at  this  time  were  Sanford,  Silver  Lake,  Orlando,  Clear¬ 
water,  Tampa  and  Maitland.” 


FLORIDA 


137 


The  first  convention  of  the  Union  was  held  in  Plant  City, 
April  5-6,  1895.  The  very  encouraging  feature  was  that  the 
six  societies  composing  the  Union  were  represented  by  one  or 
two  delegates  each.  The  Union  reported  to  Presbytery  and 
held  their  meetings  at  the  same  time  with  Presbytery,  until 
1901,  when  it  was  voted  to  meet  separately. 

The  first  President  was  Mrs.  F.  E.  Story,  of  Orlando,  who 
served  until  1896.  During  the  twenty-nine  years  of  this  Pres- 
byterial  there  have  been  seventeen  Presidents. 

The  Florida  Missionary  Union — 1901. 

The*Florida  Missionary  Union  was  organized  in  the  spring 
of  1907,  changing  its  name  in  1913  to  Florida  Presbyterial 
Auxiliary. 

One  of  the  leading  spirits  in  the  organization  of  this 
Presbyterial  Auxiliary  was  Miss  Elizabeth  Denham,  of  Monti- 
cello,  now  Mrs.  R.  T.  Wallace  of  Dothan,  Alabama. 

The  Presidents  of  Florida  Presbyterial  Auxiliary  have 
been  Mrs.  A.  E.  Lewis,  of  Pensacola,  1907-10;  Mrs.  F.  P. 
May,  of  Quincy,  1910-13;  Miss  Eliza  H.  Denham,  of  Monti- 
cello,  1913-15;  Mrs.  R.  E.  McCaskill,  of  DeFuniak  Springs, 
1915-18;  Mrs.  D.  J.  Blackwell,  of  Quincy,  1918-19;  Mrs. 
H.  A.  Love,  of  Quincy,  1919-21;  Miss  Wilhelmina  Whitted, 
cf  Chipley,  1921. 

Suwanee  Presbyterial  Auxiliary — 1907. 

Suwanee  Presbyterial  Auxiliary  was  formed  in  Jackson¬ 
ville  in  the  fall  of  1907. 

Mrs.  Charles  Marvin  was  the  moving  spirit  in  the  or¬ 
ganization  of  the  then  called  Suwanee  Missionary  Union,  Miss 
Eliza  Denham  having  interested  her  to  undertake  the  organi¬ 
zation. 

Mrs.  W.  H.  Dodge  was  elected  president,  serving  till  her 
election  as  Synodical  president  in  1914.  She  was  followed  by 
Mrs.  R.  B.  Harkness,  1914-15;  Mrs.  Arthur  S.  Harris,  1915- 


138 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


18;  Mrs.  J.  W.  Pope,  1918-20;  Mrs.  N.  Barco,  1920-22;  Mrs. 
Arthur  S.  Harris,  1922-. 

THE  FLORIDA  SYNODICAL  AUXILIARY— 1914. 

When  the  Bristol  Assembly  in  1912  authorized  the  Execu¬ 
tive  Secretaries  to  systematize  Woman’s  Work,  Florida  was 
among  those  Synods  which  had  no  Synodical  organization. 

It  is  with  just  pride,  however,  Florida  could  realize  that 
one  of  her  own  Presbyteries,  Suwanee,  had  approved  the  over¬ 
ture  to  the  Bristol  Assembly,  asking  that  a  Secretary  of  Woman’s 
Work  be  appointed. 

There  was  a  growing  feeling  among  our  women  that 
Florida  should  fall  in  line  with  the  central  plan. 

In  the  spring  of  1913,  an  active  correspondence  was  be¬ 
gun,  and  a  conference  or  two  held  between  Mrs.  Winsborough 
and  Miss  Eliza  H.  Denham,  of  Monticello.  This  led  to  a 
meeting  of  the  presidents  of  the  Presbvterial  Auxiliaries  at 
Montreat,  North  Carolina,  the  following  summer,  for  confer¬ 
ence  with  Mrs.  Winsborough.  It  was  here  that  Florida  Synodi¬ 
cal  Auxiliary,  in  reality,  had  its  birth. 

Mrs.  W.  H.  Dodge  was  unable  to  attend  this  meeting, 
but  Suwanee  Presbyterial  Auxiliary  was  represented  by  two  of 
its  officers,  Mrs.  A.  E.  Spencer  and  Mrs.  R.  B.  Harkness,  of 
Lake  City.  Those  ladies  invited  a  conference  for  the  purpose  of 
effecting  a  state  organization,  to  meet  in  Lake  City,  in  Novem¬ 
ber.  The  invitation  was  accepted,  but  the  date  was  postponed 
to  February  5th,  1914,  in  order  to  secure  Mrs.  Winsborough’s 
presence.  A  petition  signed  by  representatives  of  three  Pres¬ 
byterial  Auxiliaries,  asking  Synod  to  ratify  this  plan,  was  sent 
to  the  Executive  Committees  of  the  Presbyteries,  approved  by 
them,  and  then  presented  to  Synod,  which  met  in  Pensacola, 
November,  1913.  This  body  approved  the  proposed  organiza¬ 
tion  and  expressed  appreciation  of  the  assistance  rendered  the 
causes  of  missions  through  the  devotion  and  loyalty  of  the 
women  of  the  Church. 


FLORIDA 


139 


Therefore,  on  February  5th,  1914,  representatives  from 
three  Presbyterial  Auxiliaries  met  in  Lake  City.  St.  John’s 
was  represented  by  Mrs.  C.  R.  Knight,  and  Mrs.  A.  A. 
McLeon;  Florida  by  Miss  Eliza  H.  Denham;  Suwanee,  by  Mrs. 
W.  H.  Dodge,  Mrs.  R.  B.  Harkness  and  Mrs.  F.  E.  Lautz. 
Mrs.  Winsborough  presided  during  the  election  of  officers.  Mrs. 
W.  H.  Dodge,  of  Ocala,  was  elected  president  and  presided 
during  the  remainder  of  the  conference. 

The  achievements  of  the  women  of  Florida  have  not  been 
spectacular  nor  unusual,  but  show  a  splendid  and  steady  ad¬ 
vance.  From  the  organization  of  the  Synodical  Auxiliary,  con- 
secrated  united  effort  and  thoroughness  in  every  detail  of  the 
work  have  been  stressed  under  the  leadership  of  her  presidents: 
Mrs.  W.  H.  Dodge,  1914-15;  Miss  Eliza  Hood  Denham,  1915- 
16;  Miss  Agnes  Davidson,  1916-22. 

.Since  its  organization,  there  have  been  two  specials.  In 
1917,  it  made  a  gift  of  $300,  to  complete  the  building  of  Ybor 
City  Cuban  Mission  in  Tampa,  Florida,  and  in  1919,  it 
financed  a  Field  Secretary  in  a  three  months’  visitation  through¬ 
out  the  Synod.  One  of  the  outstanding  results  of  this  visitation 
is  the  Group  Conferences  held  annually  throughout  the  bounds 
of  the  Synod. 

In  1920,  Florida  Synodical  Auxiliary  received  special 
recognition,  when  her  president,  Miss  Agnes  Davidson,  was 
made  Chairman  of  the  Woman’s  Advisory  Committee,  holding 
that  position  for  two  years,  during  which  time  much  construc¬ 
tive  work  was  accomplished,  due  to  her  splendid  leadership 
and  winning  for  herself  the  title,  “The  Chairman  of  the  Lov¬ 
ing  Heart.” 

The  recent  action  of  General  Assembly  (1923)  by  which 
women  were  given  the  privilege  of  serving  on  the  Executive 
Boards  of  Assembly’s  Committees,  came  as  the  result  of  the 
efforts  of  the  Florida  Synodicals. 


# 


GEORGIA 


141 


GEORGIA 


142 


PIONEER 


WOMEN 


Mrs.  Josiah  Sibley,  Georgia.  A  pioneer 
worker  obedient  to  Heavenly  Visions. 


GEORGIA 


14.3 


GEORGIA 

PIONEER  HISTORY. 

We  should  be  grateful  that  with  the  early  settlers  of 
Georgia,  religion  was  given  first  place;  that  we  can  say,  “Thou 
hast  given  me  the  heritage  of  them  that  fear  Thy  name.”  Each 
colony  was  accompanied  by  a  minister,  who  not  only  was  their 
leader  in  spiritual  things,  but  helped  to  mould  the  social  and 
political  life  as  time  went  on — becoming  a  leader  in  every 

4 

sense  of  the  word.  In  Georgia  as  in  other  parts  of  the  South, 
the  Scotch-Irish  and  the  Scotch-Highlander  contributed  much 
to  the  character  of  our  citizens  by  their  sturdy  faith  and  heroic 
lives.  In  1735  these  Scotch  Presbyterians  settled  in  Darien 
with  their  Pastor,  Reverend  John  McLeod,  and  here  were  the 
seeds  of  Presbyterianism  first  planted  in  Georgia. 

The  second  Presbyterian  centre,  Medway  Church  (later 
called  Midway),  in  Liberty  County  was  established  by  a  colony 
that  came  from  Dorchester,  S.  C.,  in  1753-54,  bringing  with 
them  their  Pastor,  Reverend  John  Osgood.  The  old  Midway 
Church  became  the  stronghold  of  Presbyterianism  in  the  State 
and  has  the  honor  and  distinction  in  the  brief  history  of  111 
years,  of  sending  out  86  ministers  of  the  Gospel,  and  nine  mis¬ 
sionaries,  five  men  and  four  women. 

LIBERTY  COUNTY  FEMALE  CENT  SOCIETY.  1817. 

We  are  not  surprised  to  find  connected  with  this  remark¬ 
able  old  Church  the  first  organization  of  women  in  Georgia  of 
which  any  record  can  be  found.  “Liberty  County  Female  Cent 
Society,”  was  organized  April,  1817  and  held  annual  meetings 
at  Medway  Meeting  House.  At  this  meeting  there  was  elected 
a  Directress,  a  Vice-Directress,  a  Secretary  and  a  Treasurer; 
also  a  committee  of  three  to  solicit  subscriptions  and  donations. 


144 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


Their  object  as  stated  in  the  Constitution  was  “To  educate  pious 
youth  for  the  gospel  ministry.” 

The  wording  of  the  Constitution  which  embraces  seven 
articles  is  very  clear,  brief  and  to  the  point.  It  is  preceded 
by  quite  a  long  preamble  which  says  in  part: 

“Seeing  the  times  in  which  we  live  are  pregnant  with  great 
events,  and  believing  the  day  to  be  indeed  auspicious  for  Chris¬ 
tians  everywhere  to  put  forth  their  exertions  for  the  building 
up  of  the  Cause  and  Kingdom  of  the  Redeemer  throughout 
the  earth,  and  of  diffusing  the  light  and  knowledge  of  the  Gos¬ 
pel  of  the  grace  of  God  to  heathen  countries: 

“We  cordially  form  ourselves  into  an  association  as  the  best 
means  of  rendering  our  exertions  more  efficient  for  this  impor¬ 
tant  purpose . 

“We  the  subscribers  do  acknowledge  it  to  be  our  duty  to 
bear  a  part  in  extensively  diffusing  the  light  of  the  glorious 
gospel  of  God  our  Saviour,  and  knowing  there  is  a  lamentable 
deficiency  of  competently  qualified  ministers  of  the  Gospel  for 
this  purpose,  believe  that  a  suitable  and  proper  education  of 
pious  youth  for  the  gospel  ministry  would  be  one  of  the  best 
means  to  effect  this  object,  do  agree  to  the  following  articles.” 

The  record  of  their  organization  is  as  follows : 

Minutes,  1  April,  1817. 

“At  a  meeting  of  the  Ladies  of  Liberty  County  at  Midway 
Meeting  House!  this  day  for  the  purpose  of  forming  a  Society — 
Mrs.  McWhir  was  called  to  the  chair  and  Mrs.  Dunwody  to 
act  as  secretary  for  the  day.  A  Constitution  was  presented  and 
;read  and  after  some  alteration  was  unanimously  adopted. 
The  following  officers  agreeable  to  the  Constitution  were 
elected : 

Mrs.  Mary  McWhir,  1st  Directress. 

Mrs.  Ann  Winn,  2nd  Directress. 


GEORGIA 


145 


Mrs.  Anna  Fleming,  Secretary. 

Mrs.  Louisa  Cuthbert,  Treasurer. 
Mrs.  Mary  Howell, 

Mrs.  Sarah  Stewart, 

Mrs.  Ann  Powell, 

( Committee  to  collect  dues  and  funds.) 

“The  Society  then  adjourned. 

Mary  Me  Whir, 

Anna  Winn. 

Anna  Fleming/' 

Tire  Secretary's  Book  of  Minutes  and  the  Board  of  Mana¬ 
gers’  Book  are  still  in  existence.  Their  pages,  yellow  with 
age,  are  covered  with  the  exquisite  chirography  of  that  day 
and  the  minutes  and  constitution  are  phrased  in  the  quaint, 
formal  style  of  the  eighteenth  century.  These  valuable  books 
are  in  the  hands  of  Mrs.  W.  K.  Seago  of  New  Orleans,  a 
descendant  of  Dr.  C.  C.  Jones  and  Reverend  Mr.  Mallard  of 
Liberty  County. 

It  is  interesting  to  note  that  these  meetings  were  con¬ 
ducted  in  the  most  formal  way  and  according  to  parliamentary 
usage.  There  was  always  present  a  minister  who  was  called 
upon  to  lead  in  prayer,  but  otherwise  took  no  active  part. 
There  is  nothing  in  the  Constitution  or  Minutes  to  explain 
the  name  “Cent  Society.”  It  did  not  relate  to  their  gifts  which 
are  recorded  in  the  Board  of  Managers’  Book  and  vary  from 
$1.50  to  $10.00.  The  Treasurer’s  records  are  most  accurate, 
specifying  an  extra  gift  one  time,  “From  a  little  miss,— -6^4 
cents.” 

In  1829  this  society  declared  itself  solely  Presbyterian 
and  that  it  should  be  called  “The  Liberty  County  Female 
Education  Society”  auxiliary  to  the  Georgia  Presbyterian  Edu¬ 
cation  Society.  It  seems  that  in  1 848  this  old  organization 
was  merged  into  the  “Liberty  County  Female  Missionary 
Society,”  holding  annual  meetings  and  appropriating  its  first 


146 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


funds  to  the  support  of  “Reverend  R.  Way  and  Lady”  mis¬ 
sionaries  to  China  who  had  gone  out  from  their  midst. 

In  1854  one  item  in  their  minutes  reads:  “By  vote  of  the 
Society  funds  amounting  to  $53.50  were  appropriated  towards 
printing  Dr.  Jones’  Catechism  in  Chinese  as  translated  by 
Reverend  John  Quarterman.”  Reverend  Mr.  Quarterman  also 
went  from  Medway  to  China.  It  is  from  this  family  that 
Mrs.  Whitman  comes,  who  has  been  the  greater  part  of  her 
life  identified  with  woman’s  work  in  Georgia,  being  President 
of  Savannah  Presbyterial  ten  years  and  President  of  the 
Georgia  Synodical  two  years. 

Not  only  was  the  Midway  Missionary  Society  interested 
in  Foreign  Missions,  but  it  did  pioneer  work  in  Home  Mis¬ 
sions.  They  engaged  Dr.,  C.  C.  Jones  to  preach  two  Sabbaths 
in  the  month  to  white  people  in  the  destitute  portions  of  the 
county,  and  the  other  two  Sabbaths  and  the  intervening  days  to 
the  negroes.  Dr.  Jones’  District  covered  one  hundred  square 
miles  which  he  divided  into  six  stations  where  he,  preached 
regularly  in  rotation  every  Sabbath  with  meetings  at  night  dur¬ 
ing  the  week.  He  established  eight  Sabbath  Schools  for 
negroes,  where  the  instructions  were  oral  as  it  was  against  the 
State  law  to  teach  negroes  to  read.  Dr.  Jones  was  paid  a  very 
small  salary,  but  “Being  blessed  with  means  he  entered  the 
field  at  his  own  charge.” 

It  is  interesting  to  note  that  the  “Liberty  County  Female 
Education  Society”  gave  direction  to  all  the  early  women’s 
societies  in  Georgia  who  gave  their  funds  to  education,  as  we 
find  the  case  in  the  First  Church,  Savannah,  when  the  minutes 
of  session  state  that  a  Reverend  Mr.  Ladson  was  educated  by 
the  Ladies’  Society  in  1854  to  1858.  Another  interesting  in¬ 
cident  in  connection  with  the  Midway  Church  and  Society  oc¬ 
curred  after  the  War  with  the  Confederacy.  The  Pastor,  Dr. 
David  Porter  served  as  chaplain  during  the  war.  On  his  return 
the  church  was  so  disrupted  it  was  unable  to  pay  him  any 
salary  the  first  year.  The  ladies  made  and  presented  to  him 


GEORGIA 


147 


a  dozen  shirts — his  remuneration  for  a  year’s  labor.  This 
organization  developed  into  a  Ladies*  Aid  and  Missionary 
Society  in  1867,  and  now  has  dowered  out  into  the  Auxiliary, 
adopting  the  Circle  Plan. 

IXDEPEXDEXT  CHURCH— SAY AXX AH. 

Another  point  occupied  by  Presbyterians  at  an  early  date, 
was  the  city  of  Savannah,  and  the  oldest  regularly  organized 
Presbyterian  Church  is  the  Independent  Church  in  Savannah. 
To  lovers  of  the  grand  old  missionary  hymn  "From  Green¬ 
land’s  Icy  Mountains."  it  is  interesting  to  know  that  Lowell 
Mason  then  organist  in  this  church,  composed  the  music  for 
Bishop  Heber’s  hymn,  and  had  it  sung  for  the  nrst  time  in 
this  church. 

LADIES’  FOREIGX  MISSIOXARY  SOCIETY  OF 
FIRST  CHURCH.  AUGUSTA,  1828. 

The  First  Church  of  Augusta  is  of  historic  importance  as 
the  birthplace  of  the  Southern  Presbyterian  Church  since  the 
nrst  General  Assembly  met  here  December  4th,  1861,  for  or- 
eanization.  This  beloved  church  is  one  of  the  oldest  in  the 
Synod,  being  organized  in  1S04.  The  present  building  was 
completed  and  dedicated  in  1812.  In  this  church  there  existed 
a  Ladies'  Foreign  Missionary  Society  as  early  as  1828,  whose 
contributions  were  recorded  in  The  Missionary  Herald  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church  of  that  and  succeeding  years,  but  the 
minutes  of  those  meetings  were  not  preserved.  However,  we 
know  that,  like  the  Liberty  County  Society,  their  meetings 
were  held  not  monthly,  but  annually,  and  they  seem  to  have 
been  supplemented  by  a  missionary  sermon  preached  on  the 
following  Sunday,  and  that  the  minister  was  always  present 
to  lead  in  prayer,  and  close  with  the  benediction. 

The  first  President  of  the  Society  was  Mrs.  Benjamin 
Sims,  a  lady  of  eminent  piety  and  much  dignity  of  manner 
and  appearance.  She  was  succeeded  by  Mrs.  Anne  McKinne, 


148 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


the  grandmother  of  Mrs.  C.  A.  Rowland,  who  was  identified 
with  the  organization  of  the  Woman’s  Auxiliary  in  later  years. 

The  mission  work  in  Bogota,  the  Armenian  missionaries, 
and  later  Mr.  Le  Conte  in  Brazil,  were  all  assisted  by  this 
society.  After  Mr.  Le  Conte’s  death  in  1876,  their  money 
was  sent  to  China  and  in  the  meanwhile  the  society  began 
to  have  Monthly  Concerts  of  prayer  for  all  missions.  With 
few  lapses  this  society  has  continued  its  existence  up  to  re¬ 
cent  years  when  it  united  with  other  organizations  in  the  Church 
and  formed  the  Woman’s  Auxiliary. 

After  the  Battle  of  Chickamauga,  the  Augusta  Church 
was  used  as  a  hospital  and  in  that  period  these  missionary 
women  ministered  to  the  wounded  soldiers  giving  freely  of 
their  services  and  supplying  as  best  they  could  their  needs  for 
food  and  medicine. 

Co-existent  with  the  Missionary  Society  was  a  Ladies’ 
Sewing  Society  which  is  said  to  have  furnished  the  money  for 
the  education  of  the  late  Alexander  Stephens  when  he  was  in 
training  for  the  Church,  and  when  he  chose  law  for  his  pro¬ 
fession,  he  refunded  every  dollar  that  had  been  advanced  him 
by  the  Georgia  Education  Society.  It  appears  that  the  Sewing 
Society  contributed  to  the  Education  Society,  and  they  in  turn 
applied  these  funds  to  the  education  of  Mr.  Stephens.  Mrs 
Josiah  Sibley  was  a  member  of  these  societies  for  many  years, 
until  1879  when  she  went  with  her  husband  to  become  a  charter 
member  of  what  is  now  the  Greene  Street  Church,  in  Augusta. 

It  is  always  interesting  to  dwell  upon  the  beginnings  of 
great  undertakings  and  to  know  something  about  the  brave 
spirits  who  sought  to  bring  others  the  vision  that  had  come 
to  them.  Mrs.  Josiah  Sibley  was  one  of  the  pioneers  in  woman’s 
organized  work.  Mrs.  Sibley,  whose  memory  we  delight  to 
honor,  was  born  August  18th,  1826  and  died  in  February  1898. 
Her  mother  was  the  daughter  of  Oswell  Eve,  an  elder  in  the 
First  Church,  Augusta  and  a  member  of  the  building  com¬ 
mittee  in  1809.  Her  father,  Gilbert  Longstreet,  was  the  son  of 


GEORGIA 


149 


William  Longstreet.  Her  grand-daughter  and  namesake,  Emma 
Eve  Garner  is  a  missionary  now  in  the  Language  School 
in  Tokyo,  Japan. 

While  always  interested  in  all  phases  of  Church  work, 
Foreign  Missions  became  the  absorbing  passion  of  Mrs.  Sib¬ 
ley’s  life  after  a  visit  from  Miss  Anna  Safford,  pioneer  mis¬ 
sionary  from  Georgia  to  Soochow,  China.  Miss  Safford’s  earn¬ 
est  desire  was  to  establish  a  “Homel  for  Single  Women”  in 
Soochow  and  Mrs.  Sibley  espoused  this  cause  with  all  the  ardor 
of  her  nature,  worked  indefatigably,  and  gave  most  generously 
until  this  home  wast  built  and  most  appropriately  named  “The 
Sibley  Home.”  It  was  during  this  period  that  to  Mrs.  Sibley 
came  the  vision  of  an  organization  among  women  of  our  church 
and  she  went  to  work  with  characteristic  energy  to  bring  this 
about.  She  and  Miss  Jennie  Hanna,  of  Missouri,  through 
correspondence,  put  the  plan  before  the  whole  church;  and  all 
honor  should  be  given  to  these  two  women  who  planted  the 
seed  from  which  has  flowered  forth  our  Woman’s  Auxiliary  of 
the  Southern  Presbyterian  Church.  Mrs.  Sibley’s  summer 
home  was  in  Marietta,  Georgia,  and  that  society  claimed  her 
as  their  President  while  there.  From  this  society  comes  the 
only  existing  copy  of  the  letter  that  was  sent  out  by  Miss  Hanna 
and  Mrs.  Sibley  from  Virginia  to  Texas. 

The  interesting  life  of  the  church  at  La  Grange,  which 
was  organized  March  21st,  1829,  is  told  almost  in  its  entirety 
in  the  history  of  the  “Ladies’  Aid  Society,”  which  is  certainly 
over  seventy  years  old;  This  society  held  regular  meetings, 
always  opened  with  prayer  by  one  of  their  own  number.  They 
raised  their  money  by  doing  the  most  exquisite  handwork 
which  found  ready  sale.  With  the  exception  of  the  pastor’s 
salary,  this  society  met  nearly  every  expense  of  the  church,  buy¬ 
ing  the  organ,  carpets,  lights,  etc.  During  the  Civil  War  their 
church  was  used  for  a  hospital  for  sick  and  disabled  soldiers, 
nevertheless  through  all  those  years  of  struggle  this  society  never 
failed  to  hold  its  meetings.  As  time  went  on  its  activities  and 


150 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


usefulness  broadened,  doing  outstanding  service  in  the  church 
and  community.  Its  “Crown  of  rejoicing”  is  that  from  the 
homes  of  the  Auxiliary  members,  six  have  entered;  the  ministry, 
and  our  Secretary  of  Life  Enlistment,  Mrs.  Hazen  Smith,  is 
a  great,  great  grand-daughter  of  the  “Cameron  Clan”  who 
were  among  the  charter  members  of  this  church  and  society, 
and  original  settlers  of  La  Grange. 

Another  descendant  of  the  Clan,  Miss  Laura  Loyd,  oc¬ 
cupied  the  old  family  home  on  Broad  Street,  the  most  desir¬ 
able  site  in  the  city  for  public  buildings.  She  refused  fre¬ 
quent  and  alluring  offers  for  the  lot,  but  recently  when  she 
saw  it  was  the  strategic  place  for  the  new  church,  she  quietly 
and  humbly  gave  to  her  Lord  what  money  had  failed  to  buy, 
“And  this  also  that  she  hath  done  shall  be  spoken  of  as  a 
memorial  unto  her.”  And  here  through  the  coming  years,  the 
disciples  of  her  Lord  shall  proclaim  and  strive  to  keep  pure 
“That  faith  once  delivered  to  the  Saints.” 

One  of  the  charter  members  of  the  Cedartown  Auxiliary 
writes  of  their  organization,  which  though  not  actually  pioneer 
work,  is  interesting  in  showing  the  development  from  a  “Sew¬ 
ing  Society,”  into  our  present  perfect  organization.  Mrs 
ILouseal  says: 

“In  the  spring  of  1882,  my  five  year  old  daughter  brought 
me  a  message  from  her  teacher,  Miss  Abbie  Baker,  a  native 
of  Massachusetts,  who  had  come  South  in  search  of  health, 
for  me  to  meet  with  the  ladies  of  our  church  that  afternoon. 
So  that  afternoon  marked  the  beginning  of  our  Ladies’  Aid 
with  a  membership  of  ten.  The  influence  of  Miss  Baker’s 
consecrated  life  was  a  great  blessing  to  us. 

“If  we  could  change  the  stage  setting  of  today  back  to  that 
time,  it  would  give  much  to  smile  over.  We  had  no  form 
whatever.  The  time  of  the  meeting  was  spent  in  piecing  quilts 
and  sewing.  We  gave  dinners  and  oyster  suppers  to  raise 
money  to  help  out  our  struggling  church.  At  one  of  our  meet- 
ings  a  thing  occurred  that  made  upon  my  mind  a  lasting  im- 


GEORGIA 


151 


pression.  An  appeal  was  made  by  Miss  Charlotte  Stores  that 
we  begin  our  meetings  with  a  hymn  and  prayer.  We  younger 
members  nudged  each  other  and  giggled  a  little  at  what  we 
considered  a  preposterous  suggestion.  But  in  the  years  that 
have  followed  we  have  come  to  know  that  this  was  a  power  that 
has  banded  us  together  in  love  for  each  other  and  for  our 
Saviour.  Today,  thanks  to  her  efforts  and  to  prayer,  and  ser¬ 
vice  of  the  members  of  those  days,  we  have  an  efficient  Auxil¬ 
iary,  and  more  important  than  all,  a  praying  Auxiliary,  one 
that  we  feel  has  been  used  of  God  in  helping  advance  His 
work.” 

There  were  many  variations  in  these  early  Benevolent  and 
Aid  Societies,  but  so  far  as  can  be  learned  the  First  Church, 
Athens,  is  the  only  one  that  included  men  in  its  membership,  as 
well  as  women.  In  an  old  record  book  under  date,  March  21st, 
1852,  we  find  that  the  annual  meeting  was  held  after  the  morn¬ 
ing  service  with  the  minister  presiding.  Annual  reports  were 
read  and  officers  elected.  It  seems  that  this  organization  was 
for  the  purpose  of  collecting  funds  for  both  Home  and  Foreign 
Mission  work,  and  did  little  else. 

The  Auxiliary  of  Newnan  Presbyterian  Church  is  directly 
descended  from  the  Ladies’  Benevolent  Society  which  was  or¬ 
ganized  with  eleven  charter  members  in  October  1851.  Its 
meetings  have  been  continuous  since  its  organization  seventy- 
cne  years  ago,  except  for  part  of  one  year  during  the  war  when 
most  of  its  members  were  refugees;  and  still  more  remarkable  is 
the  fact  that  the  minutes  of  every  meeting  held  are  in  the  pos¬ 
session  of  this  Auxiliary.  Another  striking  fact  is  that  the 
Society  of  Newnan  foreshadowed  our  present  Auxiliary,  for 
Newnan  Church  has  had  from  the  beginning  only  this  one 
organization  of  women,  studying  all  phases  of  church  work, 
and  contributing  to  all  causes  of  the  church.  Minutes  of  meet¬ 
ings  of  the  first  year  record  gifts  to  Domestic  Missions,  Foreign 
Missions,  Board  of  Publication,  Board  of  Education,  destitute 
Sabbath  Schools  in  Georgia,  as  well  as  the  purchase  of  a 


152 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


Bible  and  hymn  books  for  the  local  church.  However,  they 
did  not  believe  in  “rotation  in  office.”  The  first  president 
served  42  years,  the  first  vice-president  for  48  years,  and  one 
Secretary  remained  in  service  33  years.  Their  first  officers 
were:  Mrs.  William  Alexander,  President;  Mrs.  Ellen  Welch, 
Vice-President;  Mrs.  H.  S.  Smith,  Secretary. 

It  is  interesting  to  note!  that  the  last  Thursday  of  February 
in  1852  was  observed  by  this  Society  as  a  day  of  prayer  for 
the  youth  of  our  church.  The  gifts  of  this  organization  have 
always  been  free  will  offerings.  There  is  no  mention  of  any 
money  being  “raised.”  As  was  customary,  the  pastor  always 
opened  the  meeting  with  Scripture  reading  and  prayer.  Noth¬ 
ing  is  said  of  any  women  leading  in  prayer  at  their  meetings 
until  1890/  and  then  the  explanation  is  made  that  the  pastor 
was  prevented  from  being  present  by  sickness. 

It  is  quite  fitting  that  the  first  annual  meeting  of  the 
Woman’s  Presbyterial  Union  of  Atlanta  Presbytery  was  held 
in  Newnan,  which  is  the  oldest  church  in  the  Presbytery,  and 
in  which  church  the  Presbytery  was  organized. 

PRESBYTERIAL  ORGANIZATION 

Savannah.  1898. 

The  first  Union  of  the  Missionary  Societies  in  the  Savan¬ 
nah  Presbytery  was  formed  in  the  summer  of  1898,  with  Miss 
Georgia  May  as  President.  After  six  years  of  existence  it 
died  out  in  1904.  In  the  spring  of  1908  it  was  revived  by 
representation  from  the  three  churches  of  Waycross,  Bruns¬ 
wick  and  Valdosta.  Elders  Varnedoe  and  Dimmock  of  Val¬ 
dosta,  with  Rev.  R.  A.  Brown  of  Waycross,  met  with  the  dele¬ 
gates,  Mrs.  Rowe  and  Mrs.  Louisa  Stacy  of  Brunswick,  and 
Mesdames  J.  R.  Whitman,  C.  A.  Sheldon,  Letford,  Moore 
and  Brown,  of  Waycross,  and  reorganized  the  Missionary  Soci¬ 
ety  of  the  Savannah  Presbytery.  Mrs.  J.  R.  Whitman  was 
elected  president. 

The  first  meeting  of  the  reorganization  was  held  in  Bruns- 


GEORGIA 


153 


wick,  Ga.,  in  November,  1908,  with  Elder  Habersham  Clay, 
of  Bryan  Neck  Church  giving  his  support  and  encouragement 
Mr.  Clay  several  years  later  presented  to  the  Society,  a  gavel 
made  from  a  limb  of  an  oak  in  the  historic  Midway  Cemetery. 
This  gavel  was  received  by  the  Rev.  John  W.  Quarterman,  a 
descendant  of  one  of  the  Pastors  of  this  remarkable  Midway 
Church. 


Augusta.  1900. 

In  1893  the  Missionary  Society  of  the  First  Church, 
Augusta,  appealed  to  Presbytery  for  the  privilege  of  organiz¬ 
ing  a  Presbyterial  Union.  This  overture  was  denied;  and  the 

A 

second  time  it  was  rejected.  Finally,  through  the  friendly  of¬ 
fices  of  Dr.  T.  J.  Plunkett,  Presbytery  requested  the  women 
of  the  Presbytery  to  organize;  and  a  few  earnest  women  met 
together  at  the  time  and  place  of  Spring  Presbytery.  This 
was  at  Eatonton,  April  1900  and  those  present  were:  Mrs. 
B.  F.  Brown,  First  Church  Augusta;  Mrs.  H.  K.  Lowrey  and 
Miss  Sallie  Fleming,  Second  Church  (Now  Greene  Street) ; 
Miss  Belle  McMillan,  Milledgeville ;  Mrs.  Ellington,  Wash¬ 
ington;  Mrs.  Harley,  Greensboro;  Mrs.  Supple,  Eatonton. 
Thus  the  Woman’s  Presbyterial  Foreign  Missionary  Union  of 
Augusta  Presbytery,  came  into  existence,  adopting  the  same 
Constitution,  with  a  few  minor  changes,  that  had  been  sub¬ 
mitted  to  Presbytery  and  rejected  seven  years  before.  Mrs. 
B.  F.  Brown  had  been  the  leading  spirit  in  organizing  the 
Union  and  she  was  unanimously  elected  as  President,  and  wise- 
13  and  safely  directed  its  work  during  her  term  of  two  years. 

At  its  second  annual  meeting  the  Union  asked  the  privilege 
of  omitting  the  word  “Foreign”  from  the  name,  but  Presbytery 
deemed  it  inadvisable.  This  change  was  granted  six  years 
later  and  the  name  became  “The  Woman’s  Missionary  Union 
of  the  Presbytery  of  Augusta.”  In  1903  the  decision  was  made 
to  hold  the  Union  meetings  at  a  separate  time  and  place  from 


154 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


Presbytery.  Mrs.  C.  P.  Crawford  of  Milledgeville  was  second 
President,  followed  by  Mrs.  C.  A.  Rowland  of  Augusta.  Under 
their  guidance  wise  policies  were  adopted  and  the  organization 
was  put  upon  a  firm  foundation.  From  the  beginning  stress 
was  put  upon  work  among  the  young  people  and  this  has 
always  flourished. 


Macon  Presbyterial.  1900. 

The  Woman’s  Foreign  Missionary  Union  of  Macon  Pres¬ 
bytery  was  organized  in  Americus  in  1900  at  the  meeting  of 
Presbytery.  Much  writing  had  been  done  by  the  women  of 
the  Americus  Church,  assisted  by  their  pastor,  Rev.  L.  G. 
Henderson,  in  preparation  for  this.  Mrs.  E.  P.  Morgan,  of 
Americus,  was  the  leading  spirit  in  this  movement.  She  writes 
that  a  woman’s  Union  seemed  a  terrible  innovation  to  some — 
one  elder  going  so  far  as  to  forbid1  his  wife  and  daughter  going 
near  a  meeting!  Mrs.  H.  G.  Darnall  was  the  first  President. 

The  Macon  Presbyterial  has  always  stood  for  deep  con¬ 
secration  and  emphasized  the  prayer  life  of  its  members.  It 
has  always  been  ready  to  advance  and  support  any  forward 
movement  of  the  Church.  When  the  Synodical  Cbnference  was 
organized  in  Atlanta,  the  Macon  Union  gave  a  most  hearty 
endorsement  of  it  and  sent  delegates  to  the  organization  meeting. 

While  Macon  Presbytery  was  large,  and  Presbyterianism 
weak,  yet  great  stress  was  laid  on  the  supreme  things,  life  ser¬ 
vice  from  our  young  people,  and  study,  prayer  and  giving  to 
Missions.  The  work  prospered,  and  from  Macon  Presbytery, 
the  following  young  people  volunteered  for  service  on  Foreign 
fields:  Mrs.  Munroe,  Miss  Ida  Albaugh,  Miss  Elda  Fair,  Mr. 
Schlotter,  Mr.  William  Linton,  Miss  Sara  Hansell,  Mrs.  J.  E. 
Consar,  Miss  Georgia  McKay,  Rev.  and  Mrs.  I.  S.  McElroy, 
Jr.,  besides  a  number  of  others  who  went  into  the  home  field 
and  into  the  ministry. 


GEORGIA 


155 


Atlanta  Presbyterial.  1907. 

On  November  6,  1907,  a  meeting  of  representative  women 
from  various  churches  in  Atlanta  Presbytery,  was  held  in  North 
Avenue  at  the  call  of  Rev.  R.  O.  Flinn,  Chairman  of  Church 
Societies  of  Atlanta  Presbytery.  There  were  present  fifty-eight 
delegates  and  the  Woman’s  Missionary  Union  of  Atlanta  Pres¬ 
bytery  was  thus  organized  with  Mrs.  J.  S.  Thompson  of  Cen¬ 
tral  Church,  as  President.  The  time  for  the  yearly  meeting 
was  set  for  the  week  before  the  spring  meeting  of  Presbytery, 
and  Newnan  was  chosen  the  place  of  first  meeting  as  the  cor¬ 
dial  invitation  of  the  ladies  of  that  church  stated  that  theirs 
was  the  oldest  society  in  the  Presbytery  and  Atlanta  Presbytery 
was  organized  in  the  Newnan  Church.  Two  of  Atlanta’s 
Presidents,  Mrs.  J.  S.  Thompson,  and  Mrs.  Archibald  H. 
Davis,  have  served  as  Presidents  of  the  Synodical  of  Georgia. 

Mrs.  A.  H.  Davis  was  the  second  Chairman  of  the  Woman’s 
Advisory  Committee  and  rendered  valuable  services  in  the 
first  years  of  our  organized  work.  For  four  years  the  office 
of  the  Woman’s  Auxiliary  was  in  Atlanta. 

Athens  Presbyterial.  1908. 

At  its  spring  meeting  in  1907,  Athens  Presbytery  author¬ 
ized  the  women  of  their  churches  to  form  a  Missionary  Union, 
and  this  was  organized  m  1908,  at  Commerce.  Mrs.  W.  L. 
Skelton,  of  Elberton,  waB  chosen  as  President  and  she  was  suc¬ 
ceeded  by  Mrs.  George  D.  Thomas  of  Athens,  during  whose 
term  of  office  the  Union  became  a  Presbyterial,  and  with 
Augusta,  Savannah,  Atlanta,  and  Macon,  formed  the  Georgia 
Synodical. 

Cherokee.  1908. 

“The  Woman’s  Missionary  Union  of  Cherokee  Presbytery,” 
was  the  maiden  name  of  the  organization  formed  in  C'arters- 
ville,  Georgia,  June  24,  1908. 

Being  something  new,  the  steps  were  taken  slowly  and 


156 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


cautiously,  with  many  a  question  as  to  what  was  best  and 
many  a  prayer  for  guidance. 

There  were  with  the  women,  to  direct  their  first  steps,  Rev. 
W.  L.  Lingle,  then  of  Atlanta;  Rev.  J.  H.  Patton,  of  Marietta, 
and  Rev.  U.  B.  Mathews  of  Euharlee — the  latter  acting  as  secre¬ 
tary  to  enroll  names. 

j 

A  committee,  consisting  of  one  woman  from  each  society, 
viz.,  Mesdames  John  Miller,  Albert  Gardner,  M.  E.  Patton, 
Julian  McKamy  and  Misses  Louise  Milam  and  Lula  Harris, 
was  appointed  to  draft  a  Constitution  and  also  serve  as  a 
nominating  committee.  Rev.  J.  H.  Patton,  as  chairman,  as¬ 
sisted  them.  Mrs.  R.  T.  Nesbitt,  of  Rome,  was  nominated  and 
elected  President. 

The  Constitution  was  adopted  and  the  Woman’s  Mission¬ 
ary  Union  of  Cherokee  began  to  write  history. 

Cherokee’s  name  was  changed  to  that  of  “Presbyterial 
Auxiliary”  in  1913,  and  was  formally  received  into  the  Synod¬ 
ical  Auxiliary  in  1915  by  Mrs.  A.  H.  Davis,  then  President 
of  that  body. 

GEORGIA  SYNODICAL  AUXILIARY.  1910. 

We  who  know  only  our  perfected  organization  and  its 
complete  acceptance  and  approval  of  our  leading  men,  cannot 
realize  the  courage  of  our  pioneer  workers,  nor  the  trepidation 
they  felt  in  their  first  undertakings  though  they  had  the  con¬ 
viction  that  they  were  in  the  right. 

Among  these  pioneer  women  of  vision  and  consecration  is 
the  gifted  Mrs.  Crawford  of  Milledgeville.  Not  only  did 
she  contribute  to  the  work  of  her  own  Presbyterial,  but 
she  aided  in  organizing  Athens  and  Atlanta.  As  early  as 
1908,  Mrs.  Crawford  began  to  agitate  the  question  of  organiz¬ 
ing  a  Synodical  Union.  After  much  writing  and  visiting 
among  the  five  Unions,  they  all  united  in  a  request  to  Synod 
that  a  Synodical  Union  should  be  formed — before  this  each  one 
had  asked  the  permission  of  its  Presbytery  to  join  such  a  Union. 


GEORGIA 


157 


Finally,  representatives  from  the  five  Unions  then  existing, 
Savannah,  Macon,  Athens,  Atlanta,  and  Augusta,  met  June 
24th,  1910,  in  North  Avenue  Presbyterian  Church  in  Atlanta, 
and  there  the  “Georgia  Synodical  Conference”  was  organized, 
with  the  following  officers: 

President,  Mrs.  C.  P.  Crawford,  Milledgeville, 
Secretary,  Miss  Kate  Roberts,  Atlanta. 

Treasurer,  Mrs.  George  D.  Thomas,  Athens, 

And  five  Vice  Presidents. 


A  Constitution  was  adopted  and  for  three  years  the  annual 
meetings  were  strictly  for  conference  and  held  at  the  con¬ 
clusion  of  the  last  meeting  of  the  Presbyterial  Unions,  which 
were  held  in  succession,  as  now.  Georgia’s  Constitution  be¬ 
came  the  model  for  the  other  Synodicals  that  were  organized 
later.  In  the  church  papers  of  that  time  were  found  many 
articles  discussing  the  merits  of  “the  Georgia  Plan.” 

Mrs.  Crawford  was  ably  assisted  in  this  work  by  Dr. 
R.  O.  Flinn  who  was  then  Synod’s  Chairman  of  Church  Soci¬ 
eties,  and  in  whose  church  the  Synodical  Conference  was  or¬ 
ganized.  Dr.  klinn  has  ever  been  a  loyal  and  enthusiastic 
supporter  of  woman’s  organized  work  and  was  of  great  as¬ 
sistance  to  the  women  in  those  days,  when  some  of  our  minis¬ 
ters  were  unfriendly  to  the  movement. 

The  saintly  Mrs.  J.  S.  Thompson,  of  Atlanta,  succeeded 
Mrs.  Crawford,  serving  an  unexpired  term  of  six  months.  She 
then  became  a  valued  member  of  the  Executive  Committee  as 
Secretary  of  Foreign  Missions,  and  her  missionary  fervor  has 
reached  every  part  of  the  State.  Her  greatest  contribution  to 
the  missionary  cause  was  the  gift  of  her  two  daughters,  Airs. 


Mary  Thompson  Stevens  and  Mrs.  Charlotte  Thompson  Brown, 
to  the  work  in  China.  But  Airs.  Ihompson  had  a  taste  of 
real  Foreign  Alission  service  herself,  when  she  went  to  visit 
her  daughters  in  China.  While  there  she  taught  Bible  Classes 
for  the  Alissionaries  and  for  their  children,  and  with  the  help 
of  an  interpreter,  taught  classes  tor  the  (  hinese  also. 


158 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


The  third  President  was  Mrs.  Archibald  H.  Davis  of 
Atlanta,  who  developed  and  completed  the  Synodical  organiza¬ 
tion,  it  becoming  the  Synodical  Auxiliary  according  to  As¬ 
sembly’s  plan.  The  work  grew  wonderfully  under  Mrs.  Davis’ 
energetic  and  able  leadership.  Cherokee  Presbyterial  was  or¬ 
ganized  and  came  into  the  Synodical  during  her  administra¬ 
tion.  It  was  also  during  her  term  of  office  that  Nacoochee  In¬ 
stitute  was  chosen  as  a  “Synodical  Special,”  and  the  request 
made  and  granted  that  two  women  be  given  place  on  its  Board 
of  Trustees. 

Mrs.  Davis  was  a  member  of  the  preliminary  conference 
held  February  1912,  in  Atlanta  when  the  present  Woman’s  Ad¬ 
visory  Committee  was  outlined  and  when  the  Systematic  Bene¬ 
ficence  Committee  then  in  session,  agreed  to  present  to  General 
Assembly  their  petition  for  a  Woman  Secretary.  At  the  Meet¬ 
ing  held  in  May,  1913  in  Atlanta,  Mrs.  ; Davis  was  elected  to 
succeed  Mrs.  Winsborough  as  Chairman  of  the  Woman’s  Coun¬ 
cil  as  then  called,  in  which  position  she  rendered  invaluabe 
service  during  those  early  years  because  of  her  constructive 
ability  and  her  splendid  capacity  for  organization. 

Following  Mrs.  Davis  was  Mrs.  J.  R.  Whitman  of  Way- 
cross,  who  served  two  years  and  was  succeeded  by  Mrs.  Wm. 
M.  Rowland  of  Augusta.  Mrs.  W.  M.  Turner  was  elected  in 
1922. 

In  these  last  years  definite  progress  has  been  made  es¬ 
pecially  in  the  Young  People’s  Work  which  is  now  thoroughly 
organized  throughout  the  Synodical.  The  Auxiliary  also  took 
the  initiative  in  starting  the  Synodical  Conference  for  Young 
People  which  has  become  a  great  power  in  the  State.  Another 
forward  work  is  the  setting  up  and  directing  the  Annual  Con¬ 
ference  for  Colored  Women,  held  in  Atlanta. 

In  1921  Southwest  Georgia  Presbyterial  was  organized  and 
received  into  the  Synodical  by  Mrs.  W.  M.  Rowland,  then  Presi¬ 
dent,  making  the  seven  Presbyterials  now  constituting  the 
Synodical  Auxiliary  of  Georgia. 


GEORGIA 


159 


Under  Mrs.  Rowland,  Synodical  introduced  and  promoted 
the  Religious  Summer  Conferences.  Those  held  at  Nacoochee 
and  Riverside  were  of  remarkable  success  and  of  lasting  spiritual 
effect. 

Georgia  was  one  of  the  first  Synodicals  organized  and  has 
been  characterized  by  efficient  organization,  constructive  leader- 
ship  and  loyal,  consecrated  membership. 

GEORGIA  WOMEN  WRITERS. 

Among  the  company  of  women  in  Georgia  who  have  for¬ 
warded  the  work  of  the  Kingdom,  special  place  should  be 
given  Mrs.  S.  H.  Askew,  of  Atlanta,  Bible  teacher  and  writer. 
Not  only.  has  she  used  her  pen  to  the  glory  of  God,  but  also 
while  teaching  Bible  in  the  North  Avenue  Presbyterian  School, 
she  has  given  her  talents,  time  and  strength  unreservedly  in 
teaching  the  Word  with  power  to  gatherings  of  women  or  young 
people.  Her  counsel  and  presence  were  invaluable  at  Georgia’s 
first  Conference  for  Young  People. 

While  she  has  unusual  gifts  as  a  teacher,  she  is  best 
known  for  her  illuminating  studies  on  the  Sunday-school  Les¬ 
sons,  which  have  for  years  appeared  in  publications  of  our  own 
Executive  Committee,  the  Primary  Quarterly,  Departmental 
Junior  Quarterly  and  Teachers’  Helps  in  the  Earnest  Worker. 

In  1917  a  larger  field  was  opened  to  her  through  the  Sun¬ 
day  School  Times.  For  five  years  she  has  been  writing  the 
lessons  for  the  teacher  of  girls’  classes,  with  occasional  con¬ 
tributed  articles  and  editorials. 

She  has  also  written  a  number  of  leaflets  for  devotional 
use  for  our  Auxiliaries;  and  at  request  of  Assembly's  Steward¬ 
ship  Committee,  prepared  a  series  of  studies  entitled  Christian 
Stewardship  for  Women  which  has  been  widely  used  thorough- 
out  the  church. 

Other  gifted  women  who  have  used  their  pens  in  the  Mas¬ 
ter's  service  are  Mrs.  Lee  McWilliams  of  Dalton,  who  writes 


160 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


delightful  short  stories  and  playlets  for  the  church  papers; 
Miss  Julia  Lake  Skinner  and  Miss  Sarah  Lee  Vinson,  both 
of  whom  contribute  to  the  Earnest  Worker.  Miss  Vinson  is 
also  the  able  editor  of  the  Missionary  Survey. 


KENTUCKY 


KENTUCKY 


162 


PIONEER 


WOMEN 


Mrs.  M.  D.  Irvine,  First  presiding  officer  of 
the  Kentucky  Synodical  Auxiliary. 


KENTUCKY 


163 


KENTUCKY 

It  was  not  until  after  the  middle  of  the  Eighteenth  Cen¬ 
tury  that  Kentucky  began  to  be  explored,  but  so  wonderful 
were  the  stories  told  of  her  soil  and  climate,  and  abounding 
game,  that  the  fortune  hunter  and  the  sportsman  alike,  were 
lured  from  other  States  to  this  Eden  of  the  West. 

It  was  in  the  early  eighties  that  the  influx  began.  They 
came  in  droves  from  Pennsylvania,  Maryland  and  North  Caro¬ 
lina,  but  the  body  of  them  came  from  Virginia.  They  came 
by  pack  saddle,  and  by  boat;  later,  by  wagons,  in  clans  and 
colonies,  with  their  belongings,  including  in  their  caravans 
their  cabinet  makers,  their  wheelwrights  and  blacksmiths,  with 
their  families  and  their  negro  servants. 

In  this  tide  of  immigration,  were  the  Covenanters  and 
the  Huguenots,  scions  of  a  noble  stock,  trained  through  stress 
of  storm  and  peril,  to  a  hardy  self-reliance.  Peculiarly  was 
this  true  of  her  Presbyterian  women,  who  had  been  strength¬ 
ened  in  soul  fibre,  by  memory  of  persecution  across  the  seas. 

Many  of  these  families,  in  their  westward  march,  had  not 
forgotten  to  pitch  their  altars  beside  their  tents,  as  we  find 
them  ready  to  register  membership  in  the  infant  churches,  as 
soon  as  they  were  organized. 

Life  in  Kentucky  was  perilous  in  those  days,  due  to  In¬ 
dian  warfare,  but  the  spirit  of  the  women  within  the  stockades, 
who  moulded  bullets  while  men  fired  them,  was  the  same  which 
put  the  iron  of  self-sacrifice  into  the  next  generation,  out  of 
which  our  early  churches  were  developed. 

These  people  were  lovers  of  education  and  of  the  refine¬ 
ments  that  go  with  it. 

Could  we  but  have  had  a  peep  within  the  stockade  called 
Harrod’s  Eort,  where  Harrodsburg  now  stands,  in  that  first 


164 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


winter  spent  in  Kentucky,  1775,  we  would  have  found  a  school, 
the  first  school  in  Kentucky,  taught  by  Mrs.  Jane  Coomes,  wife 
of  William  Coomes,  who  was  prominently  identified  with  these 
settlers.  Very  early,  we  find  women  opening  their  homes  to 
worshiping  congregations,  and  church  courts  before  “Meeting 
Houses”*  were  built. 

The  story  of  planting  of  Presbyterianism  in  Kentucky  links 
up  with  the  McAfee  settlement,  in  1775,  which  was  headed 
by  three  McAfee  brothers,  with  Samuel  Adams  and  James  Mc- 
Coun,  near  where  now  stands  the  pioneer  church  of  New  Provi¬ 
dence,  sixteen  miles  north  of  Harrodsburg,  Kentucky. 

The  Rev.  David  Rice,  who  came  to  our  State  from  Vir¬ 
ginia,  in  1783,  was  called  the  Father  of  Presbyterianism  in 
Kentucky.  Being  a  personal  friend  of  the  McAfee  settlers, 
he  was  induced  by  them  to  return  to  Virginia,  and  to  bring 
back  his  family  with  him  to  Kentucky,  which  he  did  in  the  fall 
of  that  same  year.  Owing  to  the  impassible  roads,  his  minis¬ 
try  during  that  fall  and  winter  was  confined  to  Danville  and 
vicinity,  where  he  preached  in  the  homes  of  the  people.  David 
Rice’s  monument  now  stands  in  McDowell  Park,  beside  the 
old  Presbyterian  Church  in  Danville,  this  church  being  one 
of  three  organized  by  “Father  Rice”  about  the  same  time. 

From  page  65,  Davidson’s  History  of  Presbyterianism  in 
Kentucky,  we  quote  the  following: 

“On  the  opening  of  Spring  of  1784,  Mr.  Rice 
extended  the  sphere  of  his  labors,  and  gathered 
three  large  congregations  near  Harrod’s  Station, 
as  a  central  point:  Danville  (Concord),  Cane 
Run  and  the  Salt  River  Settlement.” 

Houses  were  put  up  without  delay,  and  the  year  follow¬ 
ing,  1785,  churches  were  regularly  organized  in  them  all. 

Here,  as  in  Virginia,  women  bore  their  share  of  support, 
by  barter  of  deer  skins,  furs,  butter,  to  which  we  must  add 

*Davidson’s  History,  page  35.  The  Church  of  England  monopolized 
the  term  Church,  and  dissenters  must  needs  call  Temples  of  worship  “Meet¬ 
ing  Houses.” 


KENTUCKY 


165 


the  product  of  distaff  and  loom,  to  say  nothing  of  that  part 
always  assigned  her,  the  furnishing  of  sand  and  lime  for 
“filling  in  the  chinks,”  a  duty  from  which  she  has  never  been 
released  to  this  good  day. 

Kentuckians  delight  in  deducing  their  history  from  the 
Kirk  of  Scotland,  says  Davidson,  and  why  not,  when  so  vitally 
connected?  For  while  we  find  our  forebears  leaving  Ulster 
in  clans  of  kith  and  kin,  the  spirit  of  clanship  followed  them 
across  the  seas  and  across  the  Alleghanies,  and  still  exists  right 
here  in  Kentucky,  cherishing  the  same  ideals  and  traditions. 

A  story  of  this  period  seems  worth  the  telling,  since  it 
touches  the  blood  of  thousands  all  over  this  country  today, 
and  also  gives  to  us  a  glimpse  of  the  invincible  spirit  of  our 
Protestant  forebears.  It  dates  back  to  the  religious  wars  between 
England  and  Scotland,  and  the  seige  of  Londonderry,  1689, 
and  clusters  around  the  name  of  Jane  McAlister.  (See  Eng¬ 
lish  History).  When,  on  the  morning  the  beleaguered  city 
was,  by  starvation,  doomed  to  surrender,  behold — the  enemy 
had  abandoned  the  gates!  At  dawn  of  day,  they  had  spied 
through  the  barracks  what  seemed  to  be  a  line  of  barrels  of 
flour,  and  believing  the  siege  in  vain,  they  had  departed.  In 
the  darkness,  before  the  dawn,  the  last  dust  of  flour  within 
the  city,  had  been  sprinkled  over  empty  flour  barrels  and  this 
ruse  saved  the  city.  Jane  McAlister  had  sprinkled  the  flour. 

In  an  old  burying-ground  five  miles  from  Danville,  lies 
the  grave  of  Mary  McAlister,  granddaughter  of  Jane,  and  wife 
of  Abram  Irvine,  who  lies  by  her  side.  Mary  has  left  a 
lively  record  of  generalship  and  resourcefulness,  proving  her¬ 
self  as  true  to  type,  since,  by  ruse  or  persuasion,  she  rescued 
her  little  daughter  stolen  by  the  Indians.  She  and  her  hus¬ 
band,  Abram  Irvine,  were  charter  members  of  the  old  Danville 
(Concord)  church,  and  he  was  a  first  elder.  From  these  have 
come  a  long  line  of  staunch  Presbyterians,  scattered  through¬ 
out  the  country.  One  of  their  daughters,  Margaret  Irvine,  be¬ 
came  the  wife  of  the  noted  evangelist,  Rev.  John  Lyle.  In 


166 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


her  husband’s  absence  from  their  home  in  Lexington,  while  he 
was  making  preaching  tours  through  the  wilderness  of  Ken¬ 
tucky,  she  often  prepared  his  sermons  for  him.  The  two  edu¬ 
cated  a  number  of  young  men  for  the  ministry.  Among  their 
beneficiaries  were  James  Barnes,  Robert  Lapsley,  John  Dickey 
and  Bishop  Kavanaugh. 

Transylvania  Presbytery,  a  part  of  East  Hanover,  Vir¬ 
ginia,  was  organized  in  the  Danville  Court  House  in  1786. 
and  then  included  the  entire  State  and  portions  of  others.  It 
is  interesting  to  note  that  Transylvania  took  her  first  home 
missionary  collection  in  1790,  by  order  of  Synod  of  Virginia, 
to  which  we  belonged,  until  Kentucky  Synod  was  organized,  in 
1802. 

Owing  to  a  very  low  spiritual  condition  about  that  time 
eight  young  men  were  sent  to  Kentucky  as  missionaries  from  the 
Synod  of  Virginia.  Some  of  these,  with  their  wives  and  families, 
like  Father  Rice,  suffered  privations  and  one  of  these  women,  the 
wife  of  the  brilliant  Dr.  Campbell,  who  was  in  delicate  health, 
was  found  subsisting  on  pumpkins,  having  for  weeks,  been 
“hewer  of  wood  and  drawer  of  water”  for  her  family,  too  proud 
to  let  her  wants  be  known.  Does  Kentucky  owe  anything  to 
Home  Missions? 

There  are  many  records  of  heroic  self-sacrifice,  of  our 
pioneer  women,  among  them  that  of  Margaret  Armstrong  Cle- 
land.  She  was  the  daughter  of  Captain  John  Armstrong,  who, 
with  his  brother  William,  joined  fortunes  with  the  McAfee 
brothers  in  1784.  She  married  Rev.  Thos.  R.  Cleland,  a  famous 
evangelist  of  mid-pioneer  days  who,  in  1813,  became  pastor 
of  the  new  Providence  Church.  Their  home  was  known  as 
“The  School  of  the  Prophets.” 

Within  a  few  years,  fifteen  candidates  for  the  ministry 
were  educated  under  their  roof.  There  were  no  seminaries  in 
the  West,  no  access  to  books,  save  those  owned  by  the  ministers. 
With  a  family  of  ten  children,  in  those  primitive  times,  when 
all  the  clothing  was  spun  and  woven  at  home,  this  noble 


KENTUCKY 


167 


woman  shared  her  home  with  those  young  men,  receiving  from 
them  little  or  no  recompense.  “Never,  within  the  two  years 
in  which  I  lived  in  this  home,  did  I  see  Mrs.  Cleland  impatient, 
or  show  an  unkind  spirit,”  was  the  tribute  paid  by  one  of 
the  beneficiaries. 

The  daughters  of  Captain  John  Armstrong  were  members 
of  the  New  Providence  Church  and  were  the  mothers  of  a 
race  of  preachers  under  the  names  of  Cleland,  Lapsley  and 
Irvine.  Belonging  to  the  same  clan,  but  to  a  later  generation, 
was  Dr.  Wiley  Forsythe,  the  founder  of  the  Kashing  Leper 
Hospital,  and  his  sister,  Jean  Forsythe;  also  Mrs.  Bessie  Mc¬ 
Afee  Mitchell,  now  under  the  U.  S.  A.  Board  in  China. 

From  1784  to  1804  was  a  busy  period  of  church  organiza- 
tion  in  Kentucky,  beginning  in  the  center  of  the  State.  Churches 
were  ministered  to  in  groups,  and  in  the  intervals,  were  im¬ 
posed  a  task  of  memorizing  Scripture  and  Catechism,  to  be  re¬ 
cited  to  the  minister  at  his  stated  returns.  Often,  all  of  Sat¬ 
urday  was  thus  spent,  the  preacher  going  from  house  to  house. 
It  was  the  Bible  in  homes  like  these  which  helped  to  keep  the 
faith  in  our  State  during  that  period  of  spiritual  declension, 
which  began  in  the  last  decade  of  the  Eighteenth  and  extended 
far  into  the  Nineteenth  Century. 

New  Providence  Church,  which  was -organized  in  1785 
and  is  so  rich  in  the  service  of  its  sons  and  daughters,  pos¬ 
sesses  some  wonderful  old  records  of  church  discipline  among 
men  and  women,  white  and  negroes,  in  its  maintenance  of  a 
high  spiritual  standard.  The  same  is  true  of  the  Church  in 
Paris  (Ebenezer  Presbytery),  which  was  organized  in  1787. 
Offenses  such  as  Sunday  travel  and  twelve  months’  absence 
from  Church  were  occasions  for  discipline.  From  the  Paris 
congregation  have  gone  out  twenty-seven  men  into  the  min¬ 
istry,  showing  clearly  the  influence  and  work  of  the  women  of 
this  Church  and  likewise,  the  spiritual  tone  within  it. 


168 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


EARLY  INSTITUTIONS  AND  ORGANIZATIONS, 

1822-1880. 

Bible  Societies. 

Kentucky  has  a  gratifying  record  in  regard  to  Bible 
Societies.  According  to  Collins’  History  of  Kentucky,  Volume 
1,  page  492,  “The  Kentucky  Society  was  organized  in  1811, 
about  the  fourth  in  order.”  It  adopted  the  policy  of  forming 
County  Auxiliary  Societies,  and  the  one  in  Springfield,  Wash¬ 
ington  County,  was  formed  in  1817,  having  both  men  and 
women  members.  The  Female  Bible  Society  of  Lexington  was 
organized  in  1822,  and  was  still  in  existence  in  1871,  when 
Mrs.  Thomas  Skillman,  at  the  ripe  age  of  eighty-five,  was 
directing  operations  after  years  of  activity  in  it.  She  and 
her  husband,  Dr.  T.  T.  '  Skillman,  were  prominent  Presby¬ 
terians.  Miss  Sue  Scott,  of  Lexington,  a  kinswoman  of  Mrs. 
Skillman,  in  a  recent  letter,  says:  “I  can  remember  a  number 
of  women  annually  meeting  from  house  to  house,  asking  for 
money  for  this  Society,  to  send  Bibles  to  the  needy,  and  I  helped 
in  the  work  myself.”  This  statement  from  living  lips,  links 
up  directly  woman’s  pioneer  organized  work  with  today  and 
also  gives  true  light  on  the  method  of  work  in  these  Societies. 

life  Membership  in  Western  Missionary  Society — 1838-1845. 

Because  it  was  found  that  large  districts  of  the  Presby¬ 
terian  Church  were  slumbering  in  inaction  and  taking  little 
interest  in  the  American  Board  of  Foreign  Missions,  by  reason 
of  its  remoteness,  the  Western  Missionary  Society  was  organ¬ 
ized  in  1831,  according  to  the  approval  of  General  Assembly. 
This  society  was  supported  by  the  churches  of  the  Synods  of 
Pittsburgh  and  Kentucky,  which  represented  the  middle  West — 
Western  Pennsylvania,  Ohio,  Indiana  and  Kentucky.  It  was 
the  custom  to  solicit  Life  Membership  subscriptions,  $30.00 
for  male  and  $20.00  for  female  membership.  The  publication 
of  the  Society  was  the  Foreign  Missionary  Chronicle ,  and 


KENTUCKY 


169 


between  the  years  1838  and  1845,  the  names  of  a  number  of 
Kentucky  women  were  recorded.  Miss  Anna  Allen,  of  Shel- 
byville,  was  enrolled  through  the  contribution  of  the  Shelbyville 
Sunday-school.  Probably  she  had  been  zealous  in  her  teach¬ 
ing  of  missions  in  the  school  and  was  thus  honored  by  it.  In 
1839,  Miss  Rebecca  Patterson  became  a  member  and  in  1845 
Miss  Eliza  Kinnaird  was  honored  by  the  Ladies’  Sewing  Society 
of  Lancaster  Church  (Transylvania),  the  President,  perhaps, 
but  certainly  a  zealous  worker  for  the  cause.  Mrs.  Vincent 
Davis,  of  Big  Spring  Church,  was  another  member.  Big 
Spring  Church,  was  one  of  the  oldest  in  Louisville  Presbytery 
(1804)  and  was  frequently  noted  in  the  Foreign  Missionary 
Chronicle,  for  its  liberal  contributions,  both  from  the  Congre¬ 
gation  and  the  Sunday-school.  In  1838  they  enrolled  their  first 
elder  and  itinerant  pastor,  Dr.  Bemiss,  as  a  life  member.* 

Bethel  Woman’s  Auxiliary — 1825. 

The  first  Presbyterian  Woman’s  organization  recorded  in 
Kentucky  is  that  of  Bethel  Church,  Transylvania  Presbytery, 
known  as  the  Woman’s  Auxiliary  to  the  American  Board.  In 
1835  it  was  reorganized  as  Auxiliary  to  the  American  Tract 
Society. 

Very  early  in  the  settlement  of  Kentucky,  groups  of  hardy- 
pioneers  found  their  way  into  the  rich  sections  of  Shelby 
County,  and  as  early  as  1796,  Rev.  Archibald  Cameron,  of 
Scotland  and  Virginia,  was  called  to  minister  to  a  number  of 
these  groups,  worshiping  in  each  others  homes  or  in  school 
buildings  at  Teck  Creek  and  Bullskin. 

About  1810  these  groups  became  the  Shelbyville  and 
Mulberry  churches,  two  of  the  oldest  in  Louisville  Presbytery. 
The  early  rolls  of  these  congregations  are  most  interesting, 
bearing  names  which  still  endure  in  this  section,  of  families 
which .  have  become  leaders,  intellectually  and  socially,  and 

*rI%ie  above  information  was  furnished  by  Miss  Hollis  Hering  of  the 
Missionary  Research  Library  of  New  York, 


170 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


are  closely  associated  with  the  life  of  the  Presbyterian  Church 
in  Kentucky. 

Ladies’  Working  Society  of  Shelbyville — 1833. 

The  first  woman’s  society  of  which  there  is  record  in  the 
Louisville  Presbytery,  and  the  second  in  the  State,  is  the 
“Ladies’  Working  Society”  of  the  Shelbyville  Church,  send¬ 
ing,  in  the  year  1833,  through  the  pastor,  $180.00  to  “educa¬ 
tion.”  In  1837,  the  name  of  the  society  appears  on  the  record 
as  the  “Female  Circle  of  Benevolent  Industry.”  From  this 
date  to  the  year  1850,  this  society  contributed  annually,  vary¬ 
ing  sums  in  the  neighborhood  of  one  hundred  dollars  for  the 
Education  of  Students  for  the  Ministry,  a  part  of  this  sent 
to  a  student  at  Princeton. 

From  1844,  the  “Domestic'  Mission  Fund”  received  con¬ 
tributions  of  a  sum  of  money  and  a  “box  of  dry  goods.”  In 
1850,  a  Foreign  Mission  Society  was  at  work  in  this  church 
and  along  with  it  a  circle  of  little  girls  was  organized,  making 
nine  patch  quilt  squares  for  missions  and  being  taught  by  one 
of  the  good  women  of  the  congregation.  Three  of  the  original 
“little  girl”  members  have  labored  in  this  church  continuously 
for  the  last  seventy  years,  guiding  and  directing  the  organized 
work  of  the  women — Mrs.  Annie  B.  Harbison,  Mrs.  Sallv 
Offutt  Moxley  and  Mrs.  Jane  Logan  Bell,  descendants  of 
original  pioneers  in  this  section. 

From  the  Shelbyville  Church  have  gone  out  four  mis¬ 
sionaries  of  the  Cross  to  foreign  lands,  five  ministers  of  the 
Gospel,  and  a  Professor  at  Centre  College,  also  one  candidate 
for  the  ministry,  while  the  family  of  Harbison  has  fifteen  de¬ 
scendants  bearing  that  name,  who  have  been  or  are  church 
officers;  a  record  in  which  the  mothers  should  have  due  credit 
for  the  training  of  the  Christian  character  of  their  sons. 

As  early  as  1839,  monthly  Concerts  of  Prayer  for  Foreign 
Missions  were  observed  in  the  Shelbyville  Church,  at  which 
time  contributions  were  also  made.  In  the  years  1837  and 


KENTUCKY 


171 


1838,  the  same  institution  was  observed  in  the  Old  Pisgah 
Church  (West  Lexington).  These  are  precious  remnants  of 
an  institution  more  than  a  century  old,  in  answer  to  the  famous 
appeal  of  Jonathan  Edwards. 

One  of  the  names  on  the  first  roll  of  the  Mulberry  Church 
(.Shelby  County,  1810),  is  Betsy  Venable,  the  wife  of  one  of 
the  first  elders.  She  and  her  husband  were  the  progenitors  of 
fourteen  ministers  of  the  Gospel  from  Kentucky,  with  four 
granddaughters  the  wives  of  ministers.  Her  daughter,  Mary 
Venable  Logan,  was  left  a  widow  with  seven  small  children 
and  a  farm,  which  she  managed  herself.  In  1863,  the  Mul¬ 
berry  Church,  in  need  of  a  pastor  to  maintain  its  life,  found 
itself  in  hard  straits,  because  the  men  felt  the  salary  could  not 
possibly  be  raised  in  the  dire  times  of  war.  At  this,  Mary 
Venable  Logan  rose  and  headed  the  subscription  with  one  hun¬ 
dred  dollars.  The  record  is  that  the  remaining  sum  was 
quickly  subscribed  and  a  minister  called.  It  is  not  strange 
that  later,  a  son  of  this  fearless  widow,  Rev.  J.  V.  Logan, 
D.  D.,  became  the  President  of  Central  University,  in  Rich¬ 
mond,  Kentucky,  and  that  three  of  her  grandsons  are  now 
ministers  of  the  Gospel. 

A  Foreign  Missionary  Society  was  organized  in  this  church 
in  1837  by  Mrs.  Abram  Irvine,  and  for  years  much  of  the 
strong  missionary  atmosphere  was  due  to  Mrs.  Irvine  and  to 
the  conscientious  teachings  of  her  son,  Rev.  William  Irvine, 
and  his  gifted  wife,  Mrs.  Lacy  Hoge  Irvine. 

Another  group  of  pioneers  had  settled  in  a  beautiful  and 
fertile  spot  on  the  Ohio  River,  calling  their  section  “The  Land 
of  Goshen,”  and  such  it  has  proved  to  be  in  point  of  beauty 
and  fertility.  In  1825,  a  church  was  organized  by  Rev.  Gideon 
Blackburn,  the  Presbyterian  Circuit  Rider  of  the  Ohio  Valley. 
Most  of  the  settlers  were  old  Scotch-Irish  families,  and  this 
church,  together  with  a  school,  conducted  by  its  ministers,  was 
the  center  of  community  life  for  many  years.  The  name  of 
Lavina  Winchester  Snowden  is  closely  associated  with  that  of 


172 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


her  husband,  Elder  Francis  Snowden,  in  the  upbuilding  of  the 
religious  and  intellectual  life  of  this  whole  district,  where  she 
lived  and  worked  until  she  was  ninety-eight  years  of  age.  She 
came  from  Maryland,  through  Virginia,  to  Kentucky,  on  horse¬ 
back,  with  the  pioneers  when  she  was  ten  years  old.  At  sixteen, 
she  was  married  to  Francis  Snowden,  and  soon  after,  passed 
through  a  harrowing  Indian  Massacre.  She  and  her  husband 
were  charter  members  of  the  Goshen  Church  and  their  home  was 
the  home  of  the  local  Presbyterian  pastors  for  a  generation. 
Elder  Snowden  gave  the  minister  his  board,  a  suit  of  clothes  and 
a  horse,  while  the  congregation  made  up  the  salary,  but  he  ex¬ 
pected  all  the  young  pastors  to  cut  their  own  wood  and  wait 
on  themselves. 

The  Mother  Church  of  the  city  of  Louisville  was  the  First 
Presbyterian  Church,  organized  in  1816,  by  a  group  of  seven¬ 
teen  pioneers,  eleven  of  whom  were  women.  In  the  very  early 
days,  when  there  were  only  fifty-five  members,  Miss  Mary  Ann 
McNutt  and  Miss  Polly  Logan  raised  the  money  to  buy  a  solid 
silver  communion  service  and  baptismal  bowl.  Miss  Eliza 
Graham  was  another  of  the  striking  personalities  and  devoted 
workers  in  the  early  days.  When  the  church  burned,  in  1838. 
she,  at  the  risk  of  her  life,  rushed  into  the  burning  building 
and  rescued  the  Bible  from  the  pulpit.  It  is  now  one  of  the 
prized  possessions  of  the  Sunday-school.  At  a  very  early 
period,  1850,  the  interest  of  the  women  was  enlisted  in  pro¬ 
viding  a  home  for  orphans  of  the  Presbytery  and  .Synod,  and 
one  of  the  members,  Mrs.  Samuel  Casseday,  gave  the  lot  on 
Preston  Street  where  the  first  building  was  erected.  This  was 
the  beginning  of  a  very  large  interest  which  the  women  of  the 
First  Church  have  ever  since  taken  in  orphanage  work. 

Miss  Jennie  Casseday. 

From  the  First  Church  has  gone  one  of  the  most  fragrant 
lives  ever  known  in  Louisville,  that  of  Jennie  Casseday.  Born 
June  9th;  1840;  in  Louisville,  she  was  the  daughter  of  Mr. 


KENTUCKY 


1*  1 
/  J 

and  Mrs.  Samuel  Casseday,  coming  of  a  strong  Scotch-Irish 
Presbyterian  family.  In  young  womanhood,  she  was  thrown 
from  a  horse  in  a  runaway  accident,  and  was  hopelessly  crip¬ 
pled  so  that  for  thirty  years  she  lay  upon  her  back,  helpless 
and  in  almost  constant  pain.  During  the  war,  sorrow  and  lost 
fortunes  overtook  the  family,  and  life  seemed  hopeless,  as  she 
fought  the  battle  of  doubt,  despair  and  black  unbelief.  But 
her  faith  triumphed,  and  she  came  out  of  her  travail  a  new¬ 
born  being,  destined  to  perform  a  service  of  great  reach  and 
value. 

Through  her  idea  of  the  ministry  of  flowers  in  brighten¬ 
ing  the  lives  of  the  poor,  the  sick  and  forsaken,  grew  up  the 
“Flower  Mission,”  at  first  a  local  benevolence  and  the  fore¬ 
runner  ofithe  Associated  Charities  of  Louisville.  Each  bouquet 
was  accompanied  with  a  verse  of  Scripture.  This  was  taken 
up  by  the  W.  C.  T.  U.  and  became  a  national  service,  with 
Miss  Casseday  as  its  Superintendent.  The  brightness  it  brought 
to  the  lives  of  prisoners,  and  their  testimony  to  Miss  Casseday. 
is  a  story  in  itself.  She  instituted  the  order  of  King’s  Daugh¬ 
ters  in  Louisville  and  in  Kentucky.  Then,  mindful  of  the  hard 
grinding  lives  of  so  many  working  girls,  she  started  a  vaca¬ 
tion  home,  known  today  as  the  Jennie  Casseday  Rest  Cottage 
where,  for  a  very  small  sum,  a  girl  can  have  a  few  weeks  in 
the  country,  of  real  rest  and  recreation.  These  ministries  she 
accomplished  through  the  help  of  many  friends  who  were  con¬ 
stantly  drawn  to  her,  men  and  women,  rich  and  poor,  Christian 
and  unbeliever,  but  none  ever  left  her  presence  without  realiz¬ 
ing  the  source  of  her  strength  and  beauty  of  life. 

It  is  not  until  quite  a  late  period  that  there  is  any  record 
of  organized  work  among  the  women  of  the  First  Church,  but 
in  the  Second  Church,  which  was  an  offshoot  of  the  First 
Church,  there  existed  as  early  as  1850,  “The  Ladies’  Benevo¬ 
lent  Society,”  which  held  meetings  in  the  homes  of  the  mem¬ 
bers,  where  they  did  sewing  for  the  orphans  and  poor  in  the 
congregation.  During  the  Civil  War,  the  meetings  were  dis- 


174 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


continued,  but  in  1866,  they  were  taken  up  and  the  activities 
extended  to  “Foreign  Missions,  Entertainment,  Visitation  and 
Comfort  and  Relief.”  The  comfort  and  relief  work  was  prin¬ 
cipally  for  destitute  Confederate  soldiers.  The  call  of  country 
churches  for  help  was  always  responded  to,  for  in  those  days 
there  was  no  systematic  home  mission  department.  As  a  means 
of  filling  their  exchequer,  they  were  allowed  to  put  a  show 
case  on  one  of  the  large  river  packets  that  plied  between  Cin¬ 
cinnati  and  New  Orleans,  having  on  sale  fine  and  dainty  sew¬ 
ing  and  dressed  dolls.  For  years  they  did  a  big  business. 
Mrs.  E.  B.  Owsley  and  Mrs.  Stuart  Robinson  were  two  of 
the  strong  moving  spirits  of  the  society.  The  two  mission¬ 
aries  representing  the  Second  Church  in  China  today  are  Mrs 
Lettie  Taylor  Grafton  and  Mrs.  Martha  Cecil  Wilson,  grand¬ 
daughters  of  the  Benevolent  Society. 

The  work  of  Mrs.  Stuart  Robinson  did  not  stop  in  her 
own  church,  which  she  served  so  faithfully  during  the  long 
pastorate  of  her  husband.  Their  home  was  a  large  country 
tract  south  of  Louisville,  which  is  now  called  Central  Park. 
It  was  then  real  country,  surrounded  by  farms.  Mrs.  Robin¬ 
son  and  her  mother,  Mrs.  Alethia  Brigham,  seeing  so  many 
boys  and  girls  outside  of  church  influence,  gathered  them  intc 
their  sitting-room  each  Sunday  afternoon,  beginning  with  the 
year  1857,  for  Sunday-school  service.  Some  of  the  children 
walked  miles  to  attend.  During  the  Civil  War,  encampments 
of  soldiers  all  about  the  Robinson  home,  which  was  under  the 
surveillance  of  the  Northern  Army,  interfered  with  but  did 
not  stop  the  school.  At  the  close  of  the  war,  attendance  so 
increased  that  a  little  chapel  was  built  on  the  place.  Mrs. 
Robinson,  with  her  mother  and  the  young  Robinson  children . 
continued  to  direct  the  work.  She  lived  to  see  this  pioneer 
effort  of  hers  grow  into  the  organization  and  building  of  the 
Stuart  Robinson  Memorial  Church. 


KENTUCKY 


175 


Danville — 1840. 

In  the  Danville  First  Church,  which  was  founded  in  1783. 
there  is  the  record  of  a  Ladies’  Aid  Society,  in  the  early  forties, 
•contributing  annually  to  missions.  This  was  followed  by 
Foreign  Mission  Pledge  Bands  in  1878,  which  developed  into 
a  Foreign  Mission  Society  in  1884.  Long  before  the  women 
really  began  to  study  missions,  the  children  of  the  Church,  led 
by  Mrs.  Emily  Howe  Green,  wife  of  the  pastor,  who  came  in 
1876,  were  meeting  monthly  and  supporting  Chinese  girls.  Mrs. 
Eliza  Talbott  Venable  and  her  sister,  Miss  Elizabeth  Talbott, 
were  members  of  the  band  of  “Willing  Workers”  when  they 
were  children.  They  went  to  China  as  missionaries  from  the 
Versailles  church. 

-  Doremus  Circle — 1850. 

The  Springfield  Church  had  a  Doremus  Circle  in  1850, 
due  to  the  pioneer  activities  of  Mrs.  Harriet  McElroy  Brown, 
widely  known  as  “Cousin  Haggie.”  She  was  a  woman  of 
consecrated  wealth  and  wide  sympathies.  As  1850  is  an  early 
date  for  a  Doremus  Circle,  especially  in  the  South,  it  is  supposed 
that  Mrs.  Brown,  in  her  frequent  trips  East,  came  in  contact 
with  Mrs.  Doremus,  and  co-operated  with  her  in  her  efforts 
to  bring  light  to  the  women  of  the  Orient. 

Perhaps  the  most  notable  service  of  Mrs.  Brown  was  in 
behalf  of  the  Japanese  youth,  Joseph  Neesima,  to  whose  sup¬ 
port  she  became  the  largest  contributor  while  he  was  in  Amer¬ 
ica,  not  only  through  her  purse,  but  also  through  the  moral 
strength  of  her  personal  friendship  which  followed  him  through 
correspondence,  back  to  his  native  home.  Between  herself  and 
the  boy,  Neesima,  existed  a  strong  bond  of  affection,  he  al¬ 
ways  referring  to  her  as  his  “American  Mother.”  On  his  re¬ 
turn  to  Japan,  he  became  the  founder  of  Doshisha  University,* 

*The  Doshisha  University  was  founded  by  the  help  of  the  American 
Board  of  Foreign  Missions,  through  the  efforts  of  Joseph  Niijuma,  or 
Neesima,  a  Japanese  who,  in  1864,  fled  from  his  country,  taking  his  life 
in  his  hands,  for  at  that  time,  to  be  caught  leaving  the  shores  of  Japan 
meant  decapitation.  When  he  returned,  he  was  prepared  to  tell  his  people 
something  of  American  Christian  civilization. 


176 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


and  a  man  so  beloved  by  his  countrymen  that  when  he  died, 
it  is  said  a  procession  a  mile  and  a  half  long  followed  him 
to  his  grave.  Buddhists  and  Christians,  side  by  side,  vied  to 
do  him  honor. 

After  Neesima’s  education  had  been  completed,  Mrs.  Brown 
adopted  another  Japanese  youth,  and  was  never  without  a 
protege  for  Christian  Education  in  home  and  foreign  fields. 

The  Richmond  Church  was  organized  in  1827,  with  six¬ 
teen  members,  twelve  of  whom  were  women.  Their  first  annual 
report  records  a  gift  to  missions  and  Christian  Education. 
(Three-fourths  of  the  membership  were  women).  Their  sev¬ 
enteenth  member,  Mrs.  Betsy  Dean,  was  noted  as  a  Deaconess 
and  Home  Missionary  extraordinary.  According  to  an  old 
pastor,  the  women  of  Richmond  held  the  Church  together  and 
saved  it  from  destruction  during  the  Civil  War,  which  was 
true  of  many  churches  in  Kentucky  and  elsewhere. 

The  Moffett  Family. 

In  both  Lebanon  and  .Stanford  Churches,  the  saintly  in¬ 
fluence  of  Mrs.  Lena  Crawford  Moffett  is  still  felt.  It  had 
been  her  earnest  prayer  that  she  and  her  husband,  Rev.  A.  S. 
Moffett,  might  be  sent  to  China.  This  prayer  is  now  being 
answered  by  the  service  of  six  of  her  children  in  that  field: 
Rev.  Lacy  Moffett,  Miss  Carrie  L.  Moffett,  Mrs.  F.  R.  Craw¬ 
ford,  Mrs.  Robert  McMullen,  Mrs.  J.  C.  Crenshaw  and  Miss 
Natalie  Moffett. 

Paducah — 1 843 . 

Owensboro,  Henderson,  Paducah  and  Hopkinsville,  are 
cities  in  the  western  section  of  Kentucky,  which  had  Presby¬ 
terian  Churches  early  in  the  Nineteenth  Century.  Paducah 
had  a  Ladies’  Benevolent  Society  in  1843,  enrolling  forty  names 
between  the  years  1843  and  1859.  They  relieved  the  needy  in 
their  community  and  supported  a  Mission  School.  In  Owens¬ 
boro,  in  1850,  women  were  banded  together  both  for  the  needs 
of  their  own  church  and  to  promote  Foreign  Missions.  They 


Kentucky 


177 


kept  no  records.  Hopkinsville  also  had  a  Missionary  Society 
in  1850. 

India  was  a  mission  field  which  very  early  attracted  at¬ 
tention  and  interest  in  Kentucky.  In  1847,  Rev.  Charles  W. 
Foreman  went  to  India  from  the  Washington  Church  (Ebene- 
zer),  with  Geo.  O.  Barnes  (Transylvania)  and  as  a  result, 
nearly  every  member  of  his  family  has  given  service  in  this 
field.  In  a  little  paper  published  in  1858,  by  the  Presbyterian 
Board  of  Foreign  Missions,  New  York,  a  report  is  made  of 
Sunday-school  contributions  of  the  children  from  the  Southern 
States  by  Presbyteries.  Ebenezer  is  represented  by  Covington 
and  Sharpsburg;  Louisville  by  Hawesville,  UA  New  Year  Gift 
from  Jane  Bell  Hanna,”  and  Transylvania  by  Springfield.  In 
1862,  Mts.  Emma  Railey  Henry  went  from  the  Versailles 
Church  to  India,  leaving  with  her  mother  a  baby  girl  of  eleven 
months,  who,  when  grown,  was  also  a  missionary  to  India. 

Two  societies  organized  in  the  seventies,  which  have  had 
large  results  during  the  years  are  the  Woman’s  Foreign  Mis¬ 
sionary  Society  of  Nicholasville,  organized  by  Mrs.  Josephine 
Young,  in  1870,  and  doing  its  work  through  five  pledge  bands; 
and  the  Foreign  Missionary  Society  of  the  First  Church,  Lex¬ 
ington,  which  Society  has  the  unique  record  that  the  pastor 
of  the  Church  was  its  President  from  1875  to  1882. 

The  Church  at  Paris  gave  a  rich  contribution  to  our  pioneer 
work  in  Hangchow,  China,  in  the  person  of  Mrs.  Annie  E. 
Randolph.  She  carried  on  a  school  for  girls  which,  at  the 
time,  was  a  wonderful  innovation  in  China,  laying  down  three 
conditions  for  entrance  which  appeared  staggering.  The  girls 
must  come  with  unbound  feet,  unbetrothed,  and  must  study 
the  Bible.  The  conditions  were  accepted  by  many  and  the 
school  grew.  Her  wisdom  and  foresight  are  appreciated  today 
throughout  the  country,  by  hundreds  who  were  spared  the  pains 
of  foot-binding. 

In  the  Bayless  Memorial  Church  at  Grayson,  which  owes 
its  beginning,  in  1875,  to  the  Extension  Work  of  the  Augusta 


178 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


Sunday-school,  Mrs.  Martha  Jones  was  the  moving  spirit  for 
a  generation,  inviting  people  to  attend  services,  entertaining 
ministers,  often  furnishing  light  and  fuel  for  the  church  and 
acting  as  sexton;  teaching  in  the  Sunday-school  and  standing 
at  the  door  to  welcome  children.  She  had  the  joy  of  seeing  all 
of  her  children  and  many  of  her  relatives  join  the  church  she 
so  loved. 

Two  of  the  leading  churches  of  Louisville  were  the  direct 
result  of  the  zealous,  prayerful  efforts  of  women  to  have  a 
church  home  for  the  children  of  new  communities,  as  yet  with¬ 
out  church  influence.  The  Highland  Church  took  its  incep¬ 
tion  from  a  little  Sunday-school  in  which  Mrs.  Harriet  Lar- 
rabee  and  Mrs.  A.  A.  Wheeler  labored  untiringly,  and  the 

Crescent  Hill  Church  loves  to  revere  the  name  of  Mrs.  Cor- 

* 

delia  Russell  Gaines,  as  its  “Mother.”  Both  of  these  churches 
are  strong  missionary  churches,  largely  through  the  zeal  of  their 
women’s  organizations,  which  have  given  many  leaders  to  the 
Louisville  Presbyterial. 

PRESBYTERIAL  ORGANIZATION. 

Ebenezer  Union — 1894. 

The  Augusta  Church  bears  the  honor  of  being  the  hostess 
to  the  First  Presbyterian  Union  in  Kentucky.  There  had  long 
been  the  desire,  deep  in  the  heart  of  one  woman,  Mrs.  Bell  R. 
Cleveland,  of  Augusta,  to  organize  Women’s  Missionary  Socie¬ 
ties  throughout  her  section  and  to  bring  them  together  for 
more  effective  work  through  Presbyterial  Organization.  This 
was  at  a  time  when  such  a  movement  in  this  State  was  re¬ 
garded  with  suspicion  by  the  brethren  and  largely  opposed  by 
both  men  and  women  who  did  not  understand. 

Mrs.  Cleveland  presented  her  plan  to  a  number  of  conse¬ 
crated  women  who  were  convinced  of  its  value,  and  they  decided 
tentatively  to  undertake  the  work.  But  first,  they  had  to  get 
the  permission  of  Presbytery.  Mrs.  Cleveland  was  chosen  tc 


KENTUCKY 


179 


do  this,  and  went  before  the  body  with  much  anxiety,  as  she 
feared  opposition.  Her  fears,  however,  and  those  of  her  asso¬ 
ciates,  proved  groundless,  as  she  was  received  most  graciously 
and  those  from  whom  opposition  was  expected  were  the  staunch 
supporters  from  the  beginning.  In  Augusta,  on  September  13th 
1894,  the  Missionary  Union  was  formed,  and  Mrs.  Cleveland 
was  elected  President.  The  growth  of  the  organization  has  been 
continuous,  during  the  succeeding  years.  Drs.  Rutherford  and 
Scudder  strongly  supported  her. 

Louisville  Union — 1899. 

In  the  spring  of  1899,  the  Rev.  Calvin  Caldwell,  at  home 
from  China,  on  furlough,  had  been  addressing  the  Missionary 
Society*  of  the  Second  Church,  Louisville.  Some  invited  guests 
from  other  churches  were  present.  During  his  address,  he  sug¬ 
gested  that  the  members  of  the  various  societies  in  and  adjacent 
to  the  city  might  find  mutual  help  if  organized  into  a  Union. 
Two  or  three  ladies,  lingering  after  the  meeting,  stopped  to 
consider  the  suggestion,  and  one  of  these,  Mrs.  Charlton  Rogers, 
asked:  “When  could  we  start  such  an  organization?”  To 
which,  Mrs.  R.  C.  Davis,  President  of  the  Second  Church 
Society,  responded  enthusiastically,  “Now!” 

Then  and  there,  with  the  help  of  Rev.  Calvin  Caldwell, 
the  first  steps  of  organization  were  outlined.  A  Constitution, 
previously  prepared  by  Rev.  E.  M.  Greene,  of  Danville,  was 
secured  and  adapted  to  needs  and  in  the  fall  a  call  was  sent 
out  to  all  of  the  churches  in  the  Presbytery,  to  come  together 
to  organize  at  the  First  Church,  Louisville.  There  was  an 
enthusiastic  response.  Several  of  the  ministers  of  the  city 
were  present  and  gave  their  approval  to  the  movement,  the 
organization  taking  the  name  of  the  Woman’s  Missionary  Union 
of  the  Louisville  Presbytery.  Mrs.  Charlton  Rogers  was  elected 
President.  It  was  recognized  by  Presbytery,  but  left  very  much 
to  itself.  However,  one  of  the  staunchest  champions  of  the 
movement,  both  before  Presbytery  and  Synod,  was  Dr.  Wil- 


180 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


liam  Hoge  Marquess,  who  was  one  of  the  first  men  to  catch 
the  vision  of  what  the  complete  organization  of  the  women 
in  Presbyteries  and  Synods,  and  then  in  the  Church  at  large, 
would  mean  for  the  Church.  The  names  of  Mrs.  Charlton 
Rogers,  Mrs.  R.  C.  Davis,  Mrs.  Mary  H.  Tarry,  Miss  Louise 
Speed,  Miss  Lucy  McGowan  and  Miss  Mary  Blain,  are  hon¬ 
ored  as  pioneers. 

The  work  grew  rapidly  as  it  ministered  to  needs  that 
were  long  felt. 

Mrs.  John  Little. 

It  meant  much  to  the  Louisville  Presbyterial  to  have  Mrs. 
John  Little  for  its  President  during  the  last  two  years  of  her 
life.  Although  the  greater  part  of  her  work  was  done  in 
Louisville,  it  was  of  such  a  far-reaching  character,  that  its  in¬ 
fluence  was  felt  in  many  parts  of  the  country  and  especially  in 
the  South. 

She  was  a  woman  of  splendid  education  and  training,  and 
a  gifted  speaker.  But  her  greatest  gift  was  a  rich  human 
sympathy  for  all  who  were  afflicted  and  oppressed,  especially 
for  little  children  who  needed  a  friend.  She  gave  herself  un- 
stintingly  to  alleviate  conditions,  working  for  the  establish¬ 
ment  of  the  Juvenile  Court,  for  city  play  grounds  and  for  a 
better  school  system. 

After  her  marriage  to  Mr.  John  Little,  she  became  his  co- 
laborer  in  the  Presbvterian  Colored  Mission,  of  Louisville, 
building  it  up  to  an  institution  of  national  prominence  in  the 
character  of  its  uplift  work  for  the  Negro.  “She  was  a  rare 
and  understanding  friend  of  the  colored  people,  a  Missionary 
of  Jesus  to  them.”  She  was  asked  to  speak  throughout  the 
South  in  their  behalf,  urging  a  wider  educational  opportunity 
and  a  more  enlightened  treatment  of  them  by  their  communi- 
ities.  This  was  work  preliminary  to  the  organization  of  the 
Inter-Racial  Commission. 

With  Mrs.  Winsborough,  she  had  a  large  part  in  estab- 


KENTUCKY 


181 


lishing  the  Conference  for  Colored  Women  at  Tuscaloosa,  Ala  . 
and  the  second  conference  was  the  last  piece  of  work  she  did 
before  her  death.  Here  she  spoke  two  or  three  times  each  day 
and  on  a  new  subject  each  time.  At  the  time  of  her  death. 
October  31st,  1917,  she  had  been  President  of  the  Louisville 
Presbyterial  nearly  two  years,  and  had  done  much  to  increase 
its  efficiency  and  breadth  of  work. 

As  a  memorial  to  Mrs.  Little,  the  Presbyterial  contributed 
five  thousand  dollars  towards  the  building  of  a  ward  for  Col¬ 
ored  Children,  in  the  Red  Cross  Colored  Hospital  of  Louis¬ 
ville,  to  be  known  as  the  Eleanor  Tarrant  Little  Memorial. 
Nearly  a  quarter  of  the  sum  of  money  needed  was  given  by 
colored  people  as  a  testimonial  of  their  love  and  gratitude. 

As  a  further  token  of  love  to  Mrs.  Little,  the  Presbyterial 
has  had  a  special  interest  in  the  Colored  Women’s  Confer¬ 
ences,  sending  Mrs.  Lucy  Sheppard  as  an  instructor  wherever 
she  is  needed. 

W est  Lexington — 1 905 . 

In  the  Spring  of  1890,,  a  meeting  was  called  by  the  Mis¬ 
sionary  Society  of  the  First  Church,  Lexington,  for  the  pur¬ 
pose  of  considering  a  Presbyterial  Organization.  Representa¬ 
tives  were  present  from  the  Societies  of  the  Versailles,  Midway 
Pisgah,  Bethel,  Horeb,  Walnut  Hill,  Pine  Grove  and  Mt. 
Sterling  Churches.  An  interesting  program  was  carried  out 
the  matter  of  forming  a  Presbyterial  Organization  was  fully 
discussed  and  those  present  agreed  that  many  benefits  would 
result  from  such  an  organization,  but  desired  to  give  the  matter 
fuller  consideration.  They  adjourned,  to  meet  the  following 
April  in  Versailles.  This  meeting,  however,  was  not  held,  and 
according  to  the  minutes  of  the  Society,  “the  thought  of  any 
further  action  was  given  up,  for  fear  of  offending  the  breth¬ 
ren.”  Could  this  plan  have  been  put  through  West  Lexington 
would  not  only  have  been  the  first  Union  in  Kentucky,  but 
one  of  the  first  in  the  Southern  Church. 


182 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


Dr.  McCorkle,  then  pastor  of  the  Church  at  Nicholasville. 
was  one  of  the  staunchest  friends  of  the  movement  and  began 
in  1904  to  urge  the  organization  of  a  Presbyterial  Union,  lend¬ 
ing  his  aid  and  advice.  In  May,  1905,  the  organization  was 
effected,  Dr.  Green,  of  Danville,  also  proving  himself  a  good 
friend  and  supporter.  At  the  first  meeting,  in  1890,  Mrs 
E.  S.  DeLong  served  as  Chairman,  and  at  the  meeting  of  1905 
she  was  made  President  and  served  with  great  efficiency  for 
many  years. 

There  has  always  been  much  harmony  and  enthusiasm  in 
this  Presbyterial.  Practically  all  of  the  Societies  entered  intc 
the  work  from  the  very  first.  West  Lexington  is  fortunate  in 
having  its  churches  in  a  compact  group  with  admirable  roads 
and  transportation  facilities  between  the  various  flourishing 
towns  of  the  Blue  Grass  Section. 

T  ransylvania — 1907 . 

In  recording  the  very  modern  date  of  Transylvania  Union 
1907,  the  pen  stands  still  while  memory  sweeps  back  to  two 
significant  occasions.  One,  the  Ecumenical  Council,  N.  Y. 
City,  1900,  where,  without  let  or  hindrance,  were  assembled 
the  united  forces  of  Protestant  womanhood,  including  the 
Oriental  woman,  joined  in  the  one  common  effort  to  proclaim 
Iiis  Kingdom. 

In  this  common  voice  was  one  missing  note.  The  Pres¬ 
byterian  woman  of  the  South  was  present  with  zeal  and  en¬ 
thusiasm,  but  in  so  far  as  any  official  report  of  Woman’s  Work 
was  made,  her’s  was  the  missing  note. 

Antedating  this  occasion  by  only  a  few  months,  in  the 
little  town  of  Lawrenceburg,  Ky.,  was  assembled  Transylvania 
Presbytery,  U.  S.  To  it  was  presented  a  paper  from  a  Woman’s 
Union,  which  had  been  tentatively  formed  at  Danville,  ten  days 
previous.  Officers  had  been  chosen  and  a  Constitution 
adopted,  under  the  supervision  of  Dr.  E.  M.  Green,  from  whose 
judgment  in  matters  ecclesiastical  and  orthodox,  there  was  no 


KENTUCKY 


183 


need  of  appeal.  Into  his  hands  was  placed  the  paper,  together 
with  a  letter  prepared  by  the  women,  addressed  to  Presbytery 
begging  approval  of  their  action.  It  was  soon  found,  that 
while  approval  might  be  given  by  the  majority,  yet  from  cer¬ 
tain  sources  would  come  violent  opposition.  Very  discreetly 
Dr.  Green  withdrew  the  paper,  notifying  the  brethren  that  il 
would  not  be  offered  again  until  called  for. 

This  sketch  from  Transylvania  explains  in  a  most  con¬ 
crete  way,  the  why  of  the  missing  note  at  the  Ecumenical  Con¬ 
ference.  This  same  experience  was  repeated  in  many  Presby¬ 
teries. 

This  seemed,  for  the  Southern  Presbyterian  Church,  a 
situation  to  evoke  pity,  but  there  were,  at  that  time,  women 
and  men  with  a  vision  who  felt  themselves  already  a  part  of 
a  great  movement  which  of  its  own  momentum  would  sweep 
aside  all  barriers. 

However,  the  little  Presbyterial  drama  of  1899  did  not 
reopen  for  several  years.  Seeds  of  discord  had  been  sown 
and  it  required  far  more  courage  to  take  the  initiative  then 
than  now.  But  presto!  The  Church  itself  was  about  to  solve 
the  problem  through  the  launching  of  the  Forward  Movement. 
In  the  fall  of  1907,  in  the  same  First  Church,  Danville,  at  the 
request  of  Presbytery,  the  Transylvania  Union  was  revived  aftei 
its  suspension  of  eight  years,  adopting  the  same  Constitution 
and  supported  largely  by  the  same  constituency. 

Mrs.  Mary  D.  Irvine  was  re-elected  President,  which  office 
she  held  for  fifteen  years,  calling  forth  the  love  and  admira¬ 
tion  of  her  constituency.* 

It  was  with  deep  regret  that  Transylvania  transferred  the 
mountain  churches  of  Corbin,  Jellico,  Pineville,  and  Middles- 
boro,  to  Appalachia  Synod  in  1915.  The  women  of  these  socie- 

*From  Transylvania  report  of  Auxiliary  meeting,  1923.  Mrs.  H.  P. 
Cooper,  President,  Transylvania  pledged  $150.00  to  furnish  a  room  in  the 
General  Assembly  Training  School,  Richmond,  Va.,  to  be  marked.  “An 
appreciation  in  honor  of  Mrs.  Mary  D.  Irvine,  founder  and  first  president 
of  Transylvania  Presbyterial.” 


184 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


ties  had  proved  valuable  members  of  the  Presbyterial  and  had 
manifested  their  appreciation  of  Union  privileges. 

Paducah  Presbyterial — 1907. 

Through  the  instrumentality  of  Miss  Lucy  McGowan 
Synodical  visitor,  the  societies  of  Paducah  Presbytery  were 
called  together,  in  Morganfield,  in  the  Spring  of  1907,  to 
organize  a  Union.  Mrs.  Laura  V.  Shaw  was  elected  President. 

Muhlenberg — 1908. 

On  January  30th,  1908,  eighteen  delegates  from  the 
Churches  of  Muhlenberg  met  at  Greenville  for  organization, 
which  was  effected  with  Mrs.  George  Lowell,  as  President. 

Paducah-Muhlenberg — 1 911. 

* 

At  a  joint  meeting  of  these  two  Presbyterials  in  Green¬ 
ville,  1911,  they  decided  to  combine,  hoping  to  strengthen  their 
organization.  This  made  a  very  large  district,  with  widely 
separated  cities  and  towns,  not  readily  in  touch  with  each 
other.  The  wisdom  of  the  combination  has  been  questioned  for 
a  long  time. 

SYNODICAL  ORGANIZATION— 1911. 

As  has  been  stated  in  the  foregoing,  the  problem  of  the 
Woman’s  movement  not  only  in  Kentucky,  but  all  over  the 
Church,  was  being  solved  by  the  Church  itself.  The  impact 
of  the  foreign  appeal  was  pressing  hard  and  it  was  necessary 
to  arouse  the  church  to  its  responsibility.  A  statesmanlike  view 
of  the  situation  suggested  a  Forward  Movement  towards  in¬ 
tensive  education  and  organization.  At  a  meeting  of  Assem¬ 
bly’s  Foreign  Mission  Committee,  in  1907,  the  plan  was  pro¬ 
posed  to  reach  the  women  and  children  by  women.  The  fol¬ 
lowing  is  a  part  of  their  resolution,  March,  1907:  “Resolved, 
that  the  Secretaries  be  requested  to  express  to  the  Presbyterial 
Unions,  the  Committee’s  grateful  appreciation  of  the  work  they 
are  doing,  and  suggest  to  them  at  their  spring  meeting,  an 


KENTUCKY 


185 


effort  be  made  to  secure  the  services  of  one  or  more  ladv 

* 

visitors  in  each  Union,  to  go  among  the  churches  where  the 
work  has  not  been  organized,  to  establish  societies,  and  to  help 
introduce  Missions  in  the  Sunday  .School.”  In  accordance  with 
this  request,  the  Kentucky  Synod  appointed  Miss  Lucy  Mc¬ 
Gowan,  of  Louisville,  as  Synodical  visitor.  Of  the  need  of 
such  an  agency  Miss  McGowan’s  first  report  testifies:  “We 
are  stronger  by  fifty-seven  organizations  today  than  we  were 
one  year  ago.”  It  was  the  educational  side  to  which  Miss 
McGowan  measured  up  so  splendidly,  and  through  her,  the 
women  of  the  Paducah  and  Muhlenberg  Presbyteries  were 
brought  into  Union. 

To  Transylvania,  and  especially  to  Mrs.  Mary  D.  Irvine 
belongs  ^the  honor  of  the  first  active  step  towards  Synodical  co¬ 
operation.  In  Jellico,  in  1910,  at  the  annual  Presbyterial  meet¬ 
ing,  representatives  were  appointed  to  meet  with  those  from  other 
Presbyteries,  with  this  in  view.  Not  until  the  Fall  of  1911,  at 
the  Bardstown  Road  Church,  Louisville,  did  the  representatives 
of  Transylvania,  West  Lexington,  Ebenezer  and  Louisville  get 
together  for  a  short  time  at  the  close  of  the  meeting  of  the 
Louisville  Presbyterial.  All  brought  the  endorsement  of  their 
organizations  for  Synodical  co-operation.  Mrs.  Irvine  was 
elected  Chairman  and  Miss  Ruth  Crow,  of  Richmond,  Secre¬ 
tary.  (Miss  Crow  was  unable  to  serve  and  Mrs.  Irvine  acted 
as  Secretary  as  well  as  Chairman).  No  provisional  constitu¬ 
tion  was  ready  for  consideration,  but  the  Georgia  plan  was 
endorsed  and  Mrs.  Irvine  was  instructed  to  attempt  to  fill  the 
offices  suggested  by  that  Constitution,  and  also  to  make  further 
Synodical  investigation,  and  to  call  the  Kentucky  body  together 
again  as  soon  as  practical. 

The  very  first  piece  of  work  accomplished  by  this  tenta¬ 
tive  Synodical  was  the  endorsement  of  the  Missouri  movement 
to  petition  General  Assembly  for  a  Secretary  of  Woman’s  Work. 
Kentucky  was  the  sixth  State  to  take  this  action. 

On  October  16th,  1912,  the  Synodical  Conference  of  Ken- 


186 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


tucky  met  at  the  Second  Church,  Louisville,  to  complete  its 
organization.  Transylvania,  West  Lexington,  Louisville  and 
Paducah-Muhlenberg,  were  represented.  Synod  had  sent  Dr. 
McCaslin,  of  Bowling  Green,  to  give  such  counsel  and  advice 
as  was  necessary. 

It  was  a  great  privilege  to  have  present  Mrs.  Winsborough. 
the  newly  appointed  Superintendent  of  Woman’s  Work,  and. 
through  her  clear  presentation,  to  begin  work  with  a  thorough 
understanding  of  the  meaning  of  the  Woman’s  Auxiliary, 
synodical,  presbyterial,  and  local.  During  the  year  that  had 
passed,  Mrs.  Irvine  had  encountered  much  opposition  and  mis¬ 
understanding,  because  of  the  revolutionary  nature  of  the  plan 
and  she  had  had  to  feel  her  way  practically  unaided  and 
unsupported. 

Mrs.  Winsborough  presented  a  Constitution,  which  was 
adapted  to  Kentucky’s  needs.  Miss  Lucy  McGowan,  of  Louis¬ 
ville,  who  had  special  knowledge  of  the  churches  in  the  Synod, 
through  her  office  as  visitor,  was  elected  President,  and  Miss 
Alice  Eastwood,  of  Louisville,  who  had  served  for  nine  years 
as  Secretary  of  Louisville  Presbyterial,  was  elected  Secretary  of 
Synodical.  Thus  the  movement  was  launched  in  Kentucky 
under  most  auspicious  circumstances,  without  the  inconvenience 
of  changing  name  or  plan  and  with  a  desire  to  enter  into  the 
new  movement  with  much  enthusiasm. 

During  the  succeeding  years,  Synodical  has  prospered 
under  the  devoted  leadership  of  Miss  McGowan,  Mrs.  W.  M. 
Charlton,  and  Mrs.  H.  P.  Cockerham,  one  of  our  beloved  mis¬ 
sionaries  in  the  mountains.  All  of  these  Presidents  have  had 
the  honor  of  serving  as  Secretary  of  the  Woman’s  Advisory 
Committee  during  their  terms  of  office. 

For  the  last  four  years,  Synodical  has  made  marked 
strides  forward,  instituting  and  conducting  most  successfully 
the  State  Young  People’s  Conference  at  Danville,  a  Woman’s 
Conference  at  the  Jackson  Institute  and  in  the  Summer  of  1923, 
its  first  Colored  Woman’s  Conference. 


KENTUCKY 


187 


No  fitter  close  to  Kentucky’s  sketch  can  be  given  than  the 
following  testimony  to  Mrs.  Mary  D.  Irvine,  from  Dr.  E.  M. 
Green,  her  pastor  for  forty-six  years,  and  himself  a  constant 
champion  of  the  Christian  woman: 

“Among  those  who  have  had  a  vision  of  the  work  which 
the  Christian  women  of  the  present  day  have  been  called  to 
do,  and  which  has  been  largely  realized  in  the  Woman’s  Aux¬ 
iliary  Movement  in  our  Church,  a  prominent  place  must  be 
given  to  Mrs.  Mary  Davis  Irvine,  of  Danville,  Kentucky. 
With  the  strong  blood  of  the  Scotch-Irish  in  her  veins,  mingled 
with  a  strain  of  the  Welch  and  the  Huguenot,  derived  from 
her  sterling  Presbyterian  parents,  Jonathan  Davis  and  Susan 
Speed  Thornberry,  of  Spencer  County,  Kentucky,  she  was  en¬ 
dowed  by  nature  with  a  vigorous  mind,  and  by  grace  with  a 
positive  Christian  character,  developed  under  the  training  of 
the  Rev.  David  T.  Stuart,  in  the  Shelby ville  Female  College 
and  was  well  prepared  for  effective  service  in  the  Church,  and 
for  personal  influence  in  society  at  large.  Her  enthusiasm  for 
Missions  has  been  contagious,  and  has  made  her  a  leader 
among  her  sex;  while  her  large  and  accurate  information  of 
the  Church's  work,  at  home  and  abroad,  has  fitted  her  for  in¬ 
telligent  leadership.  Her  zeal  and  devotion  have  been  inspir¬ 
ing  and  stimulating  to  those  associated  with  her  in  the  study 
of  the  world’s  needs;  while  her  patience,  wisdom,  and  tact 
are  unfailing  in  developing  the  interest,  service  and  consecra¬ 
tion  of  her  fellow-workers.” 


LOUISIANA 


189 


LOUISIANA 


PIONEER 


WOMEN 


Miss  Sophie  B.  Wright,  Louisiana.  Beloved 
as  a  Christian  Philanthropist. 


LOUISIANA 


191 


LOUISIANA 

The  early  history  of  Presbyterianism  in  Louisiana  runs 
parallel  with  the  history  of  the  First  Presbyterian  Church  in 
New  Orleans,  organized  in  1823,  the  first  of  that  denomination 
in  the  State;  and  the  history  of  the  organized  work  of  the  Pres¬ 
byterian  women  of  Louisiana  dates  back  to  the  first  society  in 
this  church. 

Prior  to  the  Civil  War  there  were  few  women’s  organiza¬ 
tions  and  consequently  little  to  report.  But  we  may  be  reas¬ 
onably  certain  that  there  was  much  fine  and  noble  and  beautiful 
unrecorded  service  rendered  by  these  women  of  the  olden  days, 
and  that  their  hearts  and  their  interests  were  in  all  the  church’s 
work  and  that  in  their  more  quiet  way  they  helped  it  on.  The 
Ladies’  Benevolent  Society  of  the  Prytania  Street  Church  was 
organized  in  1852. 

During  these  early  days,  there  were  undoubtedly  occa¬ 
sional  visits  from  missionaries  returning  from  their  labors  near¬ 
by  or  in  distant  lands.  Such  a  visit  is  remembered  by  one 
who  was  a  child  at  the  time.  It  was  made  by  Mrs.  Harriet 
Wright,  wife  of  Rev.  Allen  Wright,  both  of  whom  were  early 
missionaries  to  the  Choctaw  Indians.  Mrs.  Wright,  then  a 
widow,  was  returning  to  her  field  of  service  and  her  brief  visit 
left  in  its  trail  information  about  the  Indians  and  created 
interest  in  them  which  still  endures. 

After  the  Civil  War  and  the  terrible  days  of  readjustment 
which  followed,  in  March,  1869,  encouraged  by  their  pastor, 
Dr.  B.  M.  Palmer,  the  women  of  the  first  Presbyterian  Church 
“banded  themselves  together  into  an  Association  for  Christian 
and  Benevolent  work.”  As  the  historian  writes:  “They  just 
entered  in  with  no  parliamentary  knowledge — no  charter — no 
constitution  and  by-laws,  and  elected  their  officers,  who  were: 
President,  Mrs.  B.  M.  Palmer;  Vice  President,  Mrs.  W.  A. 


192 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


Bartlett;  Secretary,  Mrs.  J.  W.  Caldwell;  Treasurer,  Mrs 
W.  C.  Black.” 

The  scope  of  their  work  was  broad,  the  first  undertaking 
being  the  outfitting  of  Rev.  Mr.  Converse  for  service  in  China, 
For  years  they  supported  a  City  Missionary  and  maintained 
the  struggling  church  in  Carrollton,  now  a  flourishing  organi¬ 
zation  in  New  Orleans,  which  owes  its  life  to  this  timely  as¬ 
sistance.  From  this  church  Mr.  Andrew  Allison  went  out  as 
a  missionary  to  Kiangyin,  China. 

They  employed  a  Bible  woman,  established  mission  Sun¬ 
day-schools  in  various  parts  of  the  city,  contributed  to  both 
home  and  foreign  missions  and  were,  as  their  purpose  stated, 
a  most  valuable  “auxiliary  to  our  church  and  that  of  Christ 
all  over  the  lands.” 

In  other  churches  of  our  faith  in  New  Orleans  and  other 
parts  of  Louisiana  during  succeeding  years,  their  example  of 
good  works  was  followed,  but  this  organization,  with  its  early 
undertakings  is  especially  mentioned  as  one  of  the  first  of  its 
kind  in  New  Orleans,  and  therefore  in  Louisiana.  The  Foreign 
Missionary  Society  of  First  Church  built  the  B.  M.  Palmer 
Memorial  Hospital  for  women  in  Hashing,  China, 

Memorial  Church — New  Orleans. 

Memorial  Church  is  the  gift  of  Mrs.  Henry  W.  Bartlet 
by  whom  it  was  erected  in  1874  in  memory  of  her  husband. 
Mrs.  Bartlet  originated  the  New  Orleans  Christian  Woman’s 
Exchange  which  for  more  than  forty  years  has  extended  a  help¬ 
ing  hand  to  the  woman  in  need. 

Miss  Sophie  B.  Wright. 

Louisiana  is  proud  to  record  that  Miss  Sophie  B.  Wright, 
well  known  philanthropist,  was  an  earnest  member  of  the  Pres¬ 
byterian  Church.  She  was  born  in  1866  and  died  in  1912. 
The  forty-six  years  of  her  noble  life  were  given  to  outstanding 
work  for  her  Master. 


LOUISIANA 


193 


When  two  or  three  years  old  she  had  a  fall  which  resulted 
in  making  her  a  cripple  for  life.  Though  seldom  free  from 
pain  she  was  a  tireless  worker.  At  fourteen  years  she  hung 
out  a  sign  “Day  School  for  Girls,  50  cents  per  month”  and 
so  began  her  career  as  an  educator  in  her  city,  New  Orleans. 

At  eighteen  a  young  acrobat  came  to  her  asking  her  to 
help  him  prepare  for  a  civil  service  examination  and  stating 
that  he  had  no  money  to  pay  for  her  services.  Although  al¬ 
ready  teaching  in  two  schools  and  studying  in  a  third,  she 
gave  him  her  evenings.  And  so  began  her  free  night  school 
for  the  youth  of  the  city.  This  work  so  grew  that  her  pupils 
numbered  1,000  and  many  earnest  women  came  to  her  assist¬ 
ance,  as  teachers. 

As  the  years  went  by  and  her  many  heavy  duties  made 
too  great  a  drain  on  her  frail  strength  the  city  took  over  the 
night  school  and  it  became  a  part  of  the  public  school  system. 

Miss  Wright  was  made  the  State  President  of  the  King’s 
Daughters  of  the  Louisiana  branch  and  under  her  leadership 
the  organization  was  largely  instrumental  in  putting  up  an 
annex  to  the  Home  for  Incurables  to  be  used  for  crippled  chil 
dren. 

The  influence  of  this  remarkable  woman  still  holds  swav 
over  the  King’s  Daughters  of  Louisiana,  and  at  each  annual 
convention  her  picture  is  brought  to  the  church  and  rests  on 
an  easel  at  the  right  of  the  platform. 

The  women  look  upon  a  beautiful  face  crowned  with 
snowy  hair  made  so  by  pain,  not  age.  In  her  lap,  rests  an 
open  Bible.  By  this  book  she  patterned  her  life  and  demon¬ 
strated  the  power  that  may  be  wielded  by  the  Christian  woman 
in  the  broader  fields  of  charity  beyond  the  bounds  of  the 
church.  Miss  Sophie  Wright  has  written  two  devotional  book¬ 
lets  called  Heart  to  Heart  Talks. 


194 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


WOMAN’S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  UNION  OF  NEW 

ORLEANS— 1896. 

It  was  not  until  1896  that  anything  like  united  organiza¬ 
tion  was  thought  of.  Each  church  society  was  a  law  unto  it¬ 
self,  working  in  its  own  sphere,  independent  of  every  other. 
The  disadvantage  of  this  was  keenly  felt,  when  in  the  winter 
of  that  year,  Mrs.  J.  L.  Stuart,  Sr.,  came  to  New  Orleans  to 
interest  the  women  of  all  the  churches  in  the  work  in  China, 
and  found  great  difficulty  in  getting  groups  of  women  together 
for  meetings  with  her;  misunderstandings  as  to  dates  occurred, 
and  once  she  was  at  one  society  without  an  audience.  At  an¬ 
other  time  the  women  came  and  there  was  no  speaker. 

The  necessity  for  closer  co-operation  among  the  women 
of  the  churches  was  so  evidenced  on  that  occasion,  that  im¬ 
mediate  steps  were  taken  to  bring  this  about,  and  under  the 
advice  of  Dr.  J.  H.  Hall,  pastor  of  the  Canal  Street  Church, 
a  letter  was  sent  to  all  Presbyterian  Missionary  Societies, 
asking  how  it  might  be  possible  for  missionaries  to  visit  the 
city  and  deliver  their  stirring  messages  without  becoming  ex¬ 
hausted  trying  to  get  the  women  together. 

Several  conferences  followed,  resulting  in  the  organization, 
under  the  guidance  of  Rev.  Dr.  B.  M.  Palmer,,  and  Rev.  Dr. 
J.  H.  Hall,  of  “The  Women’s  Foreign  Missionary  Union  of 
New  Orleans,”  April  27,  1896. 

Some  criticism  of  this  movement  was  encountered  in  the 
early  days.  It  was  said  they  were^  trying  to  “show  off,”  were 
“breaking  down  the  traditions  of  our  church,”  etc.  The  daily 
press,  although  under  protest  on  the  part  of  the  organization, 
reported  the  meetings  very  fully  and  accurately,  and  it  was  de¬ 
cided  that  Providence  meant  in  this  way  to  disseminate  foreign 
missionary  knowledge,  and  the  clippings  were  preserved  to 
vindicate  the  motives  which  inspired  the  organization  of  the 
Union.  , 

The  first  officers  were:  Mrs.  John  L.  Many,  President; 
Mrs.  W.  M.  Baker,  Vice-President;  Mrs.  J.  H.  Franklin,  Sec- 


LOUISIANA 


195 


retary;  Mrs.  A.  M.  Packard,  P'reasurer.  In  the  preamble 
of  the  Constitution  it  was  stated  that  the  purpose  of  this 
organization  was:  “to  gather  and  disseminate  knowledge,  and 
to  increase  interest  in  the  great  work  of  Foreign  Missions;” 
and  the  first  united  effort  in  this  direction  was  an  invitation 
to  Dr.  J.  H.  Snyder,  of  the  Congo  Mission,  to  visit  New  Or¬ 
leans.  His  two  lectures  brought  forth  most  favorable  com¬ 
ments  from  the  secular  press  and  interested  large  audiences, 
encouraging  the  Union  in  its  first  undertaking. 

During  that  first  year  the  epidemic  of  yellow  fever  in 
New  Orleans  made  it  impossible  to  hold  the  semi-annual 
meeting  in  November;  but  a  Thanksgiving  and  Praise  meet¬ 
ing  took  its  place  in  January  of  the  next  year,  to  which  help 

A 

and.  inspiration  were  brought  by  the  presence  of  Miss  Helen 
Richardson,  of  the  Southern  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  sent 
as  was  felt  in  answer  to  prayer. 

Mrs.  W.  M.  Baker  succeeded  to  the  Presidency  in  March, 
1898,  and  began  at  once  to  work  up  the  children’s  bands,  and 
arranged  for  annual  meetings  of  these  Junior  organizations. 
It  was  during  that  year  also  that  the  Union  was  received  by 
the  Presbytery,  its  work  and  its  purpose  endorsed,  and  its 
name  changed  to  the  Foreign  Missionary  Union  of  the  Presby¬ 
tery  of  New  Orleans.  Mr.  Louis  Voss,  Pastor  of  the  First 
Street  German  Church,  especially  urged  this. 

The  special  purpose  of  the  Union  was  to  welcome  all 
missionaries  coming  to  the  city,  and  whenever  possible  to 
invite  them  as  guests  of  the  Union,  which  paid  part  of  their 
expenses.  In  this  way  there  came  to  the  women  of  the  churches 
more  frequent  opportunities  of  coming  into  close  touch  with 
the  work  in  the  foreign  fields,  and  of  knowing  the  workers, 
for  during  the  years  many  missionaries,  both  men  and  women, 
have  brought  their  messages,  quickening  the  interest  in  the 
work,  bringing  its  needs  home  to  the  heart. 

In  June,  1905,  the  Union  sent  two  delegates,  Miss  Cora 
Pattison  and  Miss  Duncan,  to  the  “Young  People’s  Mission- 


196 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


,ary  Movement,”  of  all  denominations,  which  was  held  at 
Kenilworth  Inn,  Asheville,  N.  C.  From  this  conference  and 
from  messages  brought  back  to  the  women  of  New  Orleans 
from  Rev.  H.  F.  Williams,  of  Nashville,  there  developed  the 
thought  of  a  Home  Mission  Union.  Again  a  meeting  of  all 
Presbyterian  women  was  called,  and  after  several  conferences 
on  the  subject,  it  was  decided  to  organize  a  separate  Union 
composed  of  the  Home  Missionary  Societies  in  the  several 
churches.  The  Constitution  and  By-Laws  were  along  the 
same  lines  as  the  Foreign  Missionary  Union — the  work  to  be 
entirely  Home  Missions. 

The  first  President  was  Mrs.  J.  C.  Barr,  of  the  Lafayette 
Church,  who  held  the  office  for  the  ensuing  eight  years.  Meet¬ 
ings  were  held  twice  a  year,  as  in  the  Foreign  Missionary 
Union,  and  the  programs  were  often  made  very  interesting 
by  addresses  from  ministers  of  the  smaller  and  weaker 
churches,  telling  of  their  problems  and  encouragements.  Most 
of  the  women  belonged  to  both  Unions. 

Mission  work  is  divided  into  Home  and  Foreign  simply 
for  convenience,  and  after  eight  years  of  separate  organiza¬ 
tions,  the  wisdom  of  uniting  into  one  body  these  two  Unions 
that  had  been  working  side  by  side  for  different  branches  of 
the  same  cause,  was  forcibly  felt  in  New  Orleans,  as  in  other 
parts  of  the  Southern  Presbyterian  Church,  and  it  was  decided 
to  merge  the  two  into  one,  forming  the  Presbyterial  Auxiliary 
along  the  lines  suggested  by  Mrs.  Winsborough,  recently  ap¬ 
pointed  Superintendent  of  Woman’s  Work. 

Dr.  George  H.  Cornelson  and  Dr.  W.  McF.  Alexander 
were  the  Synodical  and  Presbyterial  advisers  in  the  matter. 
On  May  6,  1913,  Mrs.  J.  Rollo  Knapp  was  elected  the  first 
President  of  the  Presbyterial,  and  a  Constitution  and  By- 
Laws  were  adopted  in  accordance  with  the  plans  proposed  for 
all  Presbyterials  throughout  the  church. 

So  has  the  organized  work  of  the  New  Orleans  Presby¬ 
terial  developed  until  it  stands  at  this  time  a  strong  body  of 


LOUISIANA 


197 


women  united  in  purpose,  one  in  heart  and  interest.  The 
work  of  the  individual  church  societies  has  not  been  touched 
upon,  for  want  of  space,  but  their  activities  have  reached  far 
and  wide.  In  this  state  where  there  is  so  large  a  percentage 
of  foreign  speaking  peoples,  where  ignorance  and  supersti¬ 
tion  abound,  the  field  is  large  for  the  Master’s  work;  here 
Home  Missions  become  Foreign  Missions  at  home;  and  in  all 
the  Presbytery’s  work  among  the  French,  the  Italians,  the 
Hungarians,  the  Syrians,  the  Chinese,  the  Negroes,  the  women’s 
societies  had  a  full  share.  In  the  New  Orleans  Presbyterial 
especially,  located  as  it  is  in  the  Southern  part  of  the  state, 
there  are  large  opportunities  for  this  kind  of  service. 

In  1914-1915,  Mrs.  John  L.  Many,  planned  and  carried 
out  an  itinerary  through  the  New  Orleans  Presbytery,  cover- 
mg  1,894  miles,  Presbyterial  visitors  were  appointed:  Mrs. 
B.  B.  Purser,  of  Amite,  on  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad,  and 
Mrs.  M,  L.  Paradis,  of  New  Iberia,  in  Southern  Louisiana, 
have  done  fine  work  in  their  sections. 

Two  years  later  Mrs.  E.  L.  Powell,  at  that  time  Presi¬ 
dent  of  the  Presbyterial,  with  Miss  Charlotte  Thompson,  of 
the  Golden  Gate  School  of  Japan,  made  another  round  of 
the  outlying  churches.  The  results  proved  that  both  trips 
were  greatly  blessed. 

The  Presbyterial  has  in  mind  at  this  time  sectional  con¬ 
ferences  throughout  its  territory,  whenever  it  is  possible  to 
arrange  for  them.  One  of  these  was  held  in  the  Spring  of 
1921,  and  proved  very  helpful  to  the  churches  visited. 

Louisiana  Union — 1896. 

The  Louisiana  Presbyterial  was  organized  in  1896,  at 
Jackson,  La.,  with  Mrs.  Sallie  Pipes  as  President.  Two 
years  later  Mrs.  Inslee,  wife  of  our  first  Missionary  to  China, 
became  its  President,  but  failing  health  forced  her  early  resig¬ 
nation.  It  was  during  the  term  of  the  third  President,  Mrs. 
Bertha  R.  Street,  that  Miss  Tate,  of  Korea,  visited  the  socie- 


198 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


ties,  stressing  the  great  need  of  a  doctor  for  Korea.  At  her 
suggestion  the  Presbyterial  prayed  earnestly  and  faithfully — 
and  then  Dr.  Forsythe  volunteered.  Again  they  pledged  them¬ 
selves  to  pray  for  three  young  people  from  their  own  Presby¬ 
tery  to  volunteer  for  definite  life  service — and  within  the  next 
two  or  three  years  Bessie  Sentell  (Mrs.  Motte  Martin),  vol¬ 
unteered  for  the  Foreign  field,  and  Alwin  Stokes,  Will  Merrin. 
Allen  Duch,  George  Smiley,  Richard  Bolling,  Harris  Bates, 
Bob  Tombs,  Robert  McGehee  for  the  ministry.  These  young 
people  came  from  seven  different  churches  in  the  Louisiana 
Presbytery,  entering  the  work  at  different  periods  because  of 
difference  in  educational  qualifications;  but  all  made  their 
decisions  within  the  two  years  in  which  the  women  were  pray¬ 
ing,  and  all  are  preaching  today.  How  gloriously  and  won¬ 
derfully  does  God  answer  prayer,  giving  more  abundantly 
than  we  can  ask  or  think! 

Red  River  Presbyterial — 1 911. 

Red  River  Presbyterial  was  organized  much  later  than 
the  other  two,  in  the  Spring  of  1911,  in  Ruston,  Louisiana, 
with  seven  churches  represented.  Presbytery  sent  a  commis¬ 
sion  of  three  to  assist  in  the  organization;  Rev.  Carpenter. 
Rev.  McLain,  and  Rev.  O’Nelley. 

SYNODICAL  ORGANIZATION — 1913. 

When  on  May  12,  1913,  in  the  lecture  room  of  the  First 
Presbyterian  Church,  New  Orleans,  delegates  from  these  three 
Presbyterials  came  together  to  organize  the  Louisiana  Synodi¬ 
cal  Auxiliary,  it  was  from  the  Red  River  Presbyterial  that 
the  first  President,  Miss  Jordena  Flournoy,  was  chosen.  Red 
River  Presbyterial  was  the  pioneer  in  the  work,  of  trying 
to  reach  the  young  people  within  her  borders  by  assisting  in 
paying  the  salary  of  a  Sunday-school  Missionary. 

It  was  in  the  heart  of  the  second  Synodical  president, 
Mrs.  W.  S.  Payne,  to  still  further  reach  the  youth  of  the 


LOUISIANA 


199 


State  by  placing  a  second  missionary  in  middle  and  south 
Louisiana,  At  the  last  meeting  over  which  she  presided,  the 
following  resolution  was  passed:  “That  we  pledge  $1,200.00 
toward  the  support  of  a  Sunday-school  Missionary — $600  to 
be  given  by  Louisiana  Presbyterial  and  $600  by  New  Orleans 
Presbyterial.” 

It  remained  for  the  third  Synodical  president,  Mrs.  W. 
K.  Seago,  to  see  this  resolution  more  than  carried  out,  for, 
instead  of  one  man  in  the  field,  there  are  now  three  Sunday- 
sjchool  Missionaries — one  in  each  Presbyterial.  This  has 
come  about  because  of  the  enthusiasm  and  earnestness,  and 
above  all  through  the  prayers  of  the  women  for  the  little  chil¬ 
dren  and  youth  of  the  State.  So  greatly  does  God  bless  and 
prosper  and  enlarge  work  undertaken  for  Him! 

We  cannot  close  this  sketch  of  woman’s  work  in  Louisiana, 
without  mentioning  the  fact  that  from  Prytania  Street  Church 
six  missionaries  have  gone  out  to  the  foreign  field : 

Miss  Lottie  Sterling,  who  taught  in  Miss  Dowd’s  school 
in  Japan.  .  >  .  j 

Mrs.  J.  V.  N.  Talmadge,  Kwanju,  Korea. 

Miss  Urilda  Rodd  (Mrs.  John  McQueen),  Africa. 

Miss  Kate  Rodd  (Mrs.  Lacy  I.  Moffett),  China. 

Miss  Eline  Rodd  (Mrs.  Leighton  Stuart),  China. 

Miss  Florence  Rodd,  who  afterwards  married  an  Epis¬ 
copal  Minister  in  China,  and  labored  in  his  field  until  she 
was  called  to  her  heavenly  home. 

From  Napolean  Ave.  Church,  New  Orleans,  Miss  Har¬ 
riet  Pearce  (Mrs.  Roy  Leadingham)  went  out  to  Mokpo, 
Korea. 


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MISSISSIPPI 


MISSISSIPPI 


203 


MISSISSIPPI 

EARLY  HISTORY. 

Mississippi  has  the  honor  of  having  given  to  the  church 
the  first  Foreign  Missionaries  sent  out  by  the  newly  organized 
Presbyterian  Church,  U.  S.  They  were  Rev.  E.  B.  Inslee  and 
his  wife  Mrs.  Eugenia  Sherburne  Inslee.  They  went  to  Hang¬ 
chow,  China  where  our  first  Mission  Station  was  opened  in 
1867. 

It  is  possible  that  a  very  few  Presbyterian  churches  in 
what  is  now  the  Synod  of  Mississippi  may  have  been  organized 
for  one  hundred  years  prior  to  the  year  1912.  But  the  earliest 
record  found  of  woman’s  organized  work  is  in  1829.  This 

v_y 

was  the  Ladies’  Benevolent  Society  of  the  Port  Gibson  Church, 
Mississippi  Presbytery.  For  a  number  of  years  it  dropped  out 
of  existence,  but  was  reorganized  in  1871.  At  a  meeting  on 
February  8th,  1878  a  letter  was  read  and  ordered  recorded  in 
which  one  of  the  members  stated  “It  is  forty-nine  years  since 
I  first  became  a  member  of  the  Ladies’  Benevolent  Society.” 
This  would  place  its  beginning  as  early  as  1829. 

In  the  history  of  Shongolo  Church,  organized  in  1835, 
Mrs.  Mary  McDougald  McEachern  has  a  significant  place. 

Rev.  C.  W.  Grafton,  D.  D.,  pastor  of  Union  Church  (Mis¬ 
sissippi  Presbytery)  writes: 

“Mary  McDougald  came  of  a  Christian  home,  and  her 
profession  of  faith,  when  she  united  with  this  church  at  the  age 
of  fifteen  was  what  would  be  expected.  Three  years  later  she 
married  and  went  with  her  husband  to  Carroll  County,  Missis¬ 
sippi  (Central  Mississippi  Presbytery),  carrying  her  church 
letter  and  her  religion  with  her.  She  and  her  loyal  husband 
established  another  Christian  home.  The  Bible,  catechism,  sab¬ 
bath  worship,  God  in  all  His  ordinances  were  recognized.  She 
was  unswerving  in  her  loyalty  to  the  doctrines  she  imbibed  in 


204 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


her  childhood  days,  and  when  she  died  in  1903,  ninety-two 
years  of  age,  nearly  every  one  of  the  one  hundred'  and  twenty- 
one  children,  grand-children  and  great-grand'  children  who  had 
reached  accountability  were  the  subjects  of  renewing  grace.” 
It  is  said  that  soon  after  her  removal  to  Carroll  County  she  was 
urged  to  join  a  Methodist  Church  being  organized  and  to  “be¬ 
come  a  log  in  building  the  Methodist  Church.”  To  which  she 
replied:  “No.  Soon  Presbyterian  preachers  will  come,  looking 
for  Presbyterians,  and  they  might  not  find  me  if  I  was  a  mem¬ 
ber  of  a  Methodist  church.  I  will  be  a  log  in  helping  to  build 
the  first  Presbyterian  church.”  In  1835  she  became  one  of  the 
twelve  charter  members  of  the  Shongolo  Presbyterian  church  of 
Vaiden,  Carroll  County,  Mississippi.  She  lived  to  see  seven 
other  Presbyterian  churches  grow  up  around  her,  all  of 
which  are  said  to  be  traceable  through  the  old  Shongolo  church 
to  her  influence. 

Another  woman  deserving  special  mention  is  Mrs.  H.  J. 
Smith,  one  of  the  early  members  of  Madison  church  which  was 
organized  in  1845.  It  is  said  of  Mrs.  Smith  that  in  that 
neighborhood  “ten  miles  long  and  eight  miles  wide  with  no  one 
but  Presbyterians  in  it,”  she  was  the  moving  spirit  in  Sunday- 
school,  church  and  every  neighborhood  interest.  It  is  written: 
“I  never  saw  one  person  so  mould  a  neighborhood  as  she  did. 
She  had  the  ‘growing  in  grace’  of  every  young  person  and  child 
on  her  heart.  A  woman  of  wealth,  she  organized  a  ‘calico  club’ 
to  wear  calico  dresses  to  church  to  keep  the  members  from 
thinking  too  much  about  dress.” 

The  year  1848  began  organized  work  in  the  Natchez 
First  Presbyterian  Church.  The  Ladies’  Benevolent  Society 
and  a  girls’  society  called  “The  Hive”  were  started  that  year 
to  help  build  a  “Sunday-school  House”  in  the  Manse  yard.  A 
few  years  later  a  Ladies’  Aid  was  organized.  The  members 
made  fancy  work  for  sale, — not  by  bazaars,  as  now,  but  by 
trusty  “black  mammies”  who  carried  the  work  from  house  to 
house.  In  1863  this  society  was  re-organized  as  “Willing 


MISSISSIPPI 


205 


Workers”  and  divided  into  four  groups — a  fore-runner  of  the 
modern  Circle  plan.  As  one  way  to  secure  funds,  the  members 
pledged  twenty-five  cents  a  month.  Those  who  think  “the  good 
old  days”  were  ideal,  may  be  interested  to  know  people  were 
as  sensitive  then  as  now.  One  pastor  of  the  long  ago  had  to 
rebuke  the  women,  reminding  them  that  the  collector,  when 
making  her  monthly  round  was  not  asking  for  herself  but  for 
the  pledge  to  the  Lord’s  work. 

In  this  congregation,  as  in  almost  every  church  everywhere, 
the  women  were  banded  together  to  care  for  the  interior  of  the 
church.  Incidentally  it  may  be  noted  that  while  modern  Sun¬ 
day-school  rooms  and  splendid  eqiupment  have  been  added, 
the  main  ^auditorium  has  been  preserved  almost  as  in  ante¬ 
bellum  days,  with  its  high  pulpit,  comfortable  family  pews,  and 
in  the  rear  the  gallery  used  by  the  slaves,  making  this  one  of 
the  most  interesting  churches — in  point  of  sentiment — in  the 
Synod.  The  women  of  this  church  were  among  the  first  to  adopt 
the  auxiliary  circle  plan.  Mrs.  (W.  M.)  Bertha  Stebbins  Mor¬ 
rison,  of  sainted  memory,  a  missionary  to  Africa,  was  at  one 
time  a  member.  Mrs.  Florence  Henderson  Kelley  was  with 
her  husband,  a  Home  missionary  in  Oklahoma,  from  1907 
to  1911. 

The  Ladies’  Benevolent  Society  of  Port  Gibson  Church 
which  was  re-organized  in  1871  with  a  well  thought-out  Con¬ 
stitution,  has  handed  down  some  amusing  and  interesting  re¬ 
cords.  This  organization  met  weekly.  The  minutes  of  June 
1st,  1873  read: 

“Meeting  with  Mrs.  Sevier.  Very  few  present.  We  had 
a  nice  chat,  however.  Mrs.  McGinnis  and  Mrs.  Sevier  went 
out  and  gathered  some  plums  of  which  we  all  partook — cholera 
pains  notwithstanding,  though  Mrs.  Sevier  promised  the  ladies 
some  apple  brandy  after  the  plums,  which  she  entirely  forgot 
and  has  been  on  the  stool  of  repentance  ever  since.” 

But  it  was  not  all  fun.  Their  busy  fingers  not  only  aided 
their  pastor’s  wife  by  sewing  for  her  children,  but  earned  much 


206 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


money  which  helped  purchase  the  manse  and  repair  the  church. 
Another  quotation  shows  the  first  interest  in  general  work,  and 
the  influence  that  other  societies  were  beginning  to  have. 

“February  4,  1878.  The  cause  of  Sustentation  was  brought 
up,  and  as  a  very  urgent  appeal  has  been  made  to  the  ladies 
in  particular,  we  thought  it  our  duty  to  give  something  to  this 
worthy  object,  as  we  see  by  reports  that  a  great  deal  is  accom¬ 
plished  by  the  ladies’  societies  scattered  throughout  the  country. 
It  was  agreed  to  send  $10.00.” 

On  September  14,  1883  it  was  decided  to  open  the  meet¬ 
ings  with  the  reading  of  a  prayer,  which  is  the  first  mention  of 
any  religious  exercises. 

From  the  Oxford  Church  comes  the  claim  that  prior  to 
1860  they  were  organized  in  a  Missionary  Society.  During 
the  war  the  energies  of  the  women  were  absorbed  in  caring 
for  the  sick  and  wounded  soldiers  and  the  society  though  nor 
formally  disbanded,  no  longer  held  its  meetings.  In  1868  it 
was  re-organized  as  an  Aid  Society  with  a  clearly  defined  con¬ 
stitution. 

It  is  only  rarely  that  records  reveal  any  marked  interest 
being  taken  by  men  in  the  women’s  societies.  The  Kosciusko 
Christian  Aid  Society  which  was  started  in  the  Kosciusko 
Church  on  November  28th,  1870,  admitted  men  to  honorary 
membership  on  a  yearly  pledge  of  five  dollars.  Children  were 
also  admitted  who  helped  in  various  ways.  This  society,  which 
numbered  a  half  hundred  members  gave  material  aid  to  eight 
of  the  young  men  of  their  church  who  studied  for  the  ministry, 
all  of  whom  became  men  of  great  usefulness.  It  was  also  deeply 
interested  in  the  French  Camp  School  for  boys  where  it  be¬ 
came  responsible  for  two  rooms  in  the  dormitory. 

The  Industrial  Society  of  Hernando  Church,  August  16th, 
1869,  had  for  its  object  “the  prosperity  of  the  church,”  and  the 
following  is  the  result  of  their  zeal.  “When  the  Industrial  Soci¬ 
ety  was  organized  we  had  no  church,  but  used  the  Cumber¬ 
land  church.  In  1872  we  started  a  fund  for  building  a  church  of 


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our  own.  In  1878  a  neat,  frame  building  was  dedicated,  free 
from  debt.  Nearly  all  this  was  the  work  of  the  Industrial 
Society.  In  September  1878  the  Yellow  Fever  carried  away  so 
many  of  our  workers  that  we  were  almost  paralyzed,  and  had 
no  organization  for  years.  When  it  was  re-organized  it  was 
as  a  Missionary  Society.” 

In  Durant  a  little  church  came  into  being  on  January  4th, 
1869  with  only  ten  members,  seven  of  whom  were  women.  Dur¬ 
ing  the  organization  a  little  bird  flew  into  and  around  in  the 
building,  and  Mrs.  Hibernia  Cason,  “the  mother  of  the  church,” 
declared  it  to  be  a  good  omen.  The  little  congregation  began 
to  grow.  Following  a  protracted  meeting,  it  was  resolved  to 
build  a  Presbyterian  church  in  Durant.  It  seems  that  these 
seven  women — charter  members  though  without  formal  organi¬ 
zation,  became  truly  an  Aid  Society  to  secure  the  building.  In 
March  1871  it  was  completed  and  the  spring  meeting  of  Presby¬ 
tery  held  in  it.  It  is  said  Mrs.  Cason  entertained  fully  one-half 
the  members,  but  did  not  miss  a  single  service.  Later  the  Aid 
helped  in  securing  a  manse,  and  continued  splendid  work  until 
re-organized  as  a  Missionary  society  in  1910. 

At  about  this  same  period  when  the  Civil  War  had  made 
desolate  so  many  communities  in  Mississippi,  the  church  at 
Corinth  all  but  died.  But  there  were  nine  faithful  and  devoted 
women  who  met  regularly  “to  make  shirts  to  help  the  one  elder 
pay  the  pastor’s  salary  and  pay  off  the  church’s  indebtedness.” 
As  time  went  on  and  fortune  changed,  the  church  grew  and 
prospered  and  in  it  was  a  flourishing  Ladies’  Missionary  and 
Aid  Society,  building  on  the  foundations  of  these  nine  splendid 
women. 

Service  to  one’s  own  church  and  community  is  inherent  in 
the  heart  of  the  women,  but  it  is  interesting  to  see  when  sym¬ 
pathy  “for  others”  arises.  In  1871  the  women  of  Grenada 
church  organized  a  “Mite  Society”  to  raise  funds  to  buy  a 
manse,  but  while  that  need  was  great,  one-fifth  of  the  dues 


208 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


were  given  to  Foreign  Missions.  This  was  an  early  date  for 
a  Foreign  Missionary  Society. 

The  Ladies’  Aid  of  the  First  Presbyterian  Church  of 
Hattiesburg  (1886)  had  a  special  mission  from  its  very  be¬ 
ginning.  The  little  village  had  sprung  up  mushroom-like  with 
the  coming  of  many  saw-mills.  It  was  in  the  heart  of  pine 
forests,  with  endless  swamps;  rivers  that  met,  their  united 
waters  flowing  to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico;  a  lazy,  indolent  creek, 
winding  its  zig-zag  way  through  the  midst  of  the  little  new 
village,  mosquitoes  and  flies  and  fever  in  their  wake.  High 
water  in  season  bore  on  its  bosom  huge  rafts  of  logs;  and  often 
inundated  the  little  town  sprawling  in  the  midst  of  the  swamp. 

To  this  “Village  of  Swamps,”  there  came  from  New 
Orleans  in  1886  a  fair  young  music  teacher,  Miss  Myra  Mc¬ 
Nair  (later  Mrs.  Myra  C.  Eaton)  through  whose  influence  The 
Ladies’  Aid  was  organized.  It  immediately  vitalized  the  little 
new  church.  For  many  years,  until  the  organization  of  the 
City  Charities,  this  Aid  led  the  welfare  work  of  the  town. 

In  those  early  days  trained  nurses  were  not  available. 
When  malaria  and  typhoid  laid  heavy  hands  on  the  com¬ 
munity,  these  “Aiders”  at  their  weekly  meetings  made  their 
plans  and  armed  with  physicians’  instructions,  worked  lovingly 
and  systematically  nursing  the  sick,  burying  the  dead  and  com¬ 
forting  the  sorrowing,  winning  the  love  and  esteem  of  all.  As 
opportunity  offered  they  accumulated  a  fund  for  a  church  and 
soon  a  commodius  frame  building — the  best  church  in  the  rap¬ 
idly  growing  town — replaced  the  board  “shack“  in  which  they 
had  worshiped.  They  installed  electric  lights  the  first  in  any 
church  in  Hattiesburg.  Again  a  fund  was  started  for  a  good 
brick  building  to  accommodate  the  rapidly  growing  member¬ 
ship.  But  the  spiritual  life  and  church  benevolences  were  not 
forgotten.  They  contributed  to  every  Cause  of  the  Church,  and 
at  each  meeting  took  an  offering  for  the  Orphanage.  Their 
membership  and  zeal  grew  with  the  years,  and  they  have  been 


MISSISSIPPI 


209 


a  power  in  their  own  church  and  have  wielded  a  potent  in¬ 
fluence  in  the  town. 

The  war  work  done  by  the  women  of  this  First  Church  and 
also  by  the  Auxiliary  of  the  Bay  Street  Church,  Hattiesburg, 
in  the  hospital  at  Camp  Shelby,  deserves  special  mention  and 
is  in  keeping  with  their  history.  These  patriotic,  Christian 
women  made  and  gave  thousands  of  cakes,  thousands  of  gallons 
of  ice  cream,  tens  of  thousands  of  sandwiches,  beside  soups, 
custards  and  other  dainties.  They  did  regular  systematic  visit¬ 
ing.  Regularly  on  week  days,  but  especially  on  Sundays  they 
invited  “The  Boys”  to  their  homes  and  also  rendered  loving 
services  to  parents  visiting  the  cantonment.  All  this  labor  of 
love  was  done  in  His  name  without  interfering  with  their 
regular  »church  work  and  benevolences. 

PRESBYTERIAL  ORGANIZATION. 

THE  WOMAN’S  MISSIONARY  UNION  OF  EAST 
MISSISSIPPI  PRESBYTERY,  1901. 

What  is  now  East  Mississippi  Presbytery  was  formed  by 
uniting  Chickasaw  and  Tombeckbee  Presbyteries  in  1907.  As 
early  as  1901  the  Chickasaw  Presbytery  at  its  spring  meeting 
in  Booneville,  authorized  the  organization  of  the  Woman’s  Mis¬ 
sionary  Union.  The  moving  spirit  in  this  effort  was  Miss 
Laura  .Stout  who  was  elected  the  first  President.  She  had  had 
as  her  heart’s  dream  to  be  a  Foreign  Missionary,  but  was  pre¬ 
vented  through  ill  health.  She  had,  however,  caught  the  vision 
of  increased  missionary  interest  through  the  organization  of 
the  scattered  women’s  societies. 

The  high  plane  of  this  first  Union  in  Mississippi  is  shown 
by  the  program  of  their  second  annual  meeting. 

“What  are  the  Signs  of  Promise  in  the  Mission  World? 
Our  Hospitals.  The  Direct  and  Reflex  Influence  of  Prayer 
in  the  Local  Society.  A  Model  Missionary  Society.  How 
to  Create  and  Maintain  Interest  in  the  Missionary  Society. 


210 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


The  Personnel  of  Our  Missionaries  in  China.  Children’s  Bands. 
The  Country  Church  and  the  Missionary  Society.”  In  addi¬ 
tion  to  these  there  was  a  Missionary  sermon,  and  an  address  by 
Miss  Annie  Dowd,  a  returned  Missionary  from  Japan.  There 
seems  to  have  been  no  place  on  the  program  for  reports,  business 
or  conference  work,  but  some  of  the  papers  read  indicate  that 
they  had  problems  and  interests  similar  to  those  facing  more 
recent  organizations. 

The  woman  of  the  Tombeckbee  Presbytery  were  organized 
into  a  Union  by  Mrs.  H.  M.  Sydenstricker  at  West  Point,  on 
July  12th,  1907.  She  was  elected  President. 

After  the  Presbyteries  of  Chickasaw  and  Tombeckbee 
united,  the  two  Missionary  Unions  met  together,  united  and 
re-organized  as  East  Mississippi  Missionary  Union,  April  1908. 

Missionaries. 

One  woman  went  from  the  Presbytery  as  a  Foreign  Mis¬ 
sionary  prior  to  1912,  Miss  Annie  Dowd  to  Kochi,  Japan,  in 
1887,  whom  the  entire  church  delights  to  honor  for  the  very 
remarkable  work  she  has  done. 

THE  WOMAN’S  MISSIONARY  UNION  OF 
MISSISSIPPI  PRESBYTERY.  1907. 

At  the  spring  meeting  of  Mississippi  Presbytery,  1907,  a 
resolution  was  passed  inviting  women’s  societies  to  send  dele¬ 
gates  to  the  fall  meeting  of  Presbytery,  in  Brook  Haven,  to 
organize  a  Missionary  Union.  Dr.  J.  J.  Chisholm  of  sainted 
memory,  and  Dr.  S.  C.  Caldwell,  were  the  warm  friends  of 
the  organization.  About  a  dozen  women  met  with  the  women 
of  the  Brook  Haven  church.  Mrs.  H.  N.  Street  of  Centerville 
(then  in  New  Orleans  Presbytery)  and  Miss  Ethel  McKowan 
of  Jackson,  La.,  were  present,  and  assisted  Dr.  Chisholm  in 
the  organization.  Mrs.  C.  W.  Grafton  was  elected  president, 
and  Miss  Josie  Houck,  secretary.  The  first  annual  meeting 
was  in  Port  Gibson,  with  the  meeting  of  Presbytery  in  April 


MISSISSIPPI 


211 


1908.  At  the  second  annual  meeting  in  1909,  “the  attention 
of  the  Union  was  called  to  our  obligation  to  evangelize  the  Jews, 
an  obligation  which  our  Church  has  not  acknowledged  by  any 
concerted  effort.”  At  the  meeting  in  1910  the  Union  arranged 
to  employ  Dr.  Louis  Meyer  of  the  Chicago  Hebrew  Mission  to 
travel  throughout  the  Synod,  making  addresses  on  Jewish 
Evangelism,  and  to  become  responsible  for  his  expenses. 

At  the  fourth  annual  meeting,  1911,  an  overture  was  sent 
to  the  General  Assembly,  asking  that  the  Home  Missions  Com¬ 
mittee  be  instructed  to  open  their  books  for  funds  for  a  Jewish 
Mission.  Through  the  influence  of  Mississippi  Missionary 
Union,  the  Presbyteries  of  North  Mississippi,  Memphis  and 
Cherokee  and  the  Mississippi  Synod  all  sent  similar  overtures. 
These  ,were  granted,  and  thus  through  the  efforts  of  the  women 
of  this  Union  was  begun  what  finally  resulted  in  a  new  mis¬ 
sion  work  for  our  church,  rounding  out  the  command:  “Go 
ye  into  all  the  world  and  make  disciples  of  every  nation.” 

Missionaries. 

Four  women  have  gone  from  this  Presbytery  to  the 
Foreign  Field,  prior  to  1912.  Mrs.  E.  B.  Inslee,  to  China  in 
1867,  Miss  Jane  Moseley,  Mrs.  Charlotte  E.  Stirling  to  Japan 
in  1887.  Mrs.  Lucile  Bankston  Baird  to  Brazil  in  1895. 

THE  WOMAN’S  MISSIONARY  UNION  OF  CENTRAL 
MISSISSIPPI  PRESBYTERY.  1908. 

The  women  of  the  Kosciusko  Missionary  Society,  believ¬ 
ing  the  work  could  be  advanced  more  rapidly  by  a  general 
organization,  undertook  to  interest  other  women.  Mrs.  F.  Z. 
Jackson,  the  President,  and  Mrs.  M.  E.  C.  Leonard,  wrote  to 
the  women’s  organizations  of  the  different  churches,  urging  the 
organization  of  Missionary  Societies,  and  the  importance  of 
the  Missionary  Union.  Some  replied:  “We  have  a  Ladies’ 
Aid  and  give  to  Missions  through  it,  and  feel  satisfied  without 
the  additional  organization.”  But  often  discouraging  silence 


212 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


was  the  only  response.  But  when  Rev  C.  T.  Thomson,  D.  D. 
became  pastor  of  the  church  in  1908,  he  and  his  wife  encouraged 
them  to  resume  their  efforts.  In  October  1908,  Dr.  Thomson 
presented  a  petition  to  Presbytery  for  permission  to  organize 
a  Woman’s  Missionary  Union  in  Central  Mississippi  Presby¬ 
tery.  Some  prominent  members  raised  strenuous  objections, 
but  in  his  interest  and  zeal  Dr.  Thomson  was  able  to  answer 
them,  and  the  petition  was  granted. 

Mrs.  M.  E.  C.  Leonard  again  wrote  to  every  woman’s 
organization  in  the  churches  of  the  Presbytery,  calling  a  meet¬ 
ing  in  the  Kosciusko  church  January  21-22,  1909.  Eighteen 
women,  representing  seventeen  societies  in  fourteen  churches, 
attended.  The  Foreign  Missions  Committee  sent  Mrs.  A.  T. 

o 

Graybill,  formerly  of  our  Mexico  Mission,  and  she  and  Dr. 
Thomson  were  very  helpful.  The  organization  was  effected 
Friday,  January  22nd,  1909.  Only  eight  societies,  represent¬ 
ing  five  churches  (Kosciusko,  Greenville,  Forest,  Learned  and 
Ridgeland)  joined  at  that  time.  Mrs.  W.  B.  Gidden  of  Green¬ 
ville  was  elected  the  first  President. 

By  the  time  of  the  first  annual  meeting  October  1909,  six 
more  societies  were  ready  to  join.  At  the  second  meeting, 
October  1910  the  Union  had  grown  to  twenty  societies  and  its 
value  had  been  so  clearly  demonstrated  that  the  advisability 
of  a  Synodical  Union  was  discussed. 

The  third  annual  meeting  held  at  Forest,  October  1911, 
was  an  eventful  meeting,  plans  were  started  and  recommenda¬ 
tions  made  which  have  proved  of  such  value  that  they  later 
became  part  of  the  accepted  policy  of  the  whole  Auxiliary 
organization. 

As  far  back  as  1911  a  Standard  of  Excellence  was  adopted 
which  was  the  fore-runner  of  the  Standard  given  to  the  Auxil¬ 
iary  by  the  Woman’s  Advisory  Committee  at  Montreat  in  1921 
It  was  as  follows: 


MISSISSIPPI 


213 


Standard  of  Excellence. 

1.  At  least  one  meeting  a  month  with  devotional  exer¬ 
cises,  and  a  definite  missionary  program. 

2.  And  increase  in  membership  during  the  year  of  at  least 
twenty-five  per  cent  (25%)  of  the  present  membership,  until 
all  the  women  of  the  church  are  members  of  the  society. 

3.  An  increase  in  gifts  of  not  less  than  ten  per  cent 
(10%)  of  the  previous  year’s  contributions. 

4.  Regular  reports  to  the  Union,  whenever  required. 

5.  One  of  the  religious  papers,  or  missionary  magazines, 
or  Calendar  of  Prayer  subscribed  for  in  every  home  represented 
in  the  Society. 

6.  Observance  of  seasons  of  special  prayer  for  Home  and 
Foreign  Missions. 

7.  At  least  one  Mission  Study  Class  a  year. 

8.  An  average  attendance  at  regular  meetings  of  two- 
thirds  of  membership  enrolled  as  active  members. 

9.  At  least  one  delegate  sent  to  the  meeting  of  the  Union. 

Societies  reaching  all  nine  of  these  requirements  to  be 

placed  on  “The  Roll  of  Honor”  at  a  meeting  of  Union.  Those 
reaching  six  of  these  requirements  to  be  graded  “Class  A.” 
Those  reaching  three  of  the  requirements  to  be  graded  “Class 
B.” 

This  .Standard  was  published  in  all  of  the  church  papers 
as  were  also  some  resolutions  in  regard  to  the  Foreign  Mis¬ 
sion  debt  which  was  filling  the  Foreign  Mission  Committee 
with  alarm.  These  resolutions  were  said  to  have  been  in¬ 
strumental  in  awakening  the  women  all  over  the  church  to  the 
payment  of  the  debt. 

The  following  important  subjects  were  considered  in  con¬ 
ference:  The  importance  of  holding  Missionary  Institutes; 
Teaching  Missions  in  the  Sunday  School;  Forming  Prayer 
Circles;  Importance  of  Deeper  Spirituality  in  the  Local  Society; 


214 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


Importance  of  Observing  the  Week  of  Prayer  for  Foreign  Mis¬ 
sions;  and  the  Importance  of  Accurate  Reports. 

A  Prayer-circle  composed  of  all  the  officers  pledged  to 
pray  for  each  other  daily  by  name  and  for  the  work,  was 
formed. 

At  this  same,  1911  meeting,  definite  plans  were  made,  look¬ 
ing  forward  to  the  organization  of  a  Synodical  Conference  in 
the  immediate  future.  Mrs.  William  Irvine  was  President 
that  year  and  was  succeeded  by  Mrs.  W.  Bristow  Gray.  Mrs. 
C.  S.  Evarts  was  Secretary. 

The  record  of  this  Presbyterial  has  been  one  of  progress 
and  spiritual  vision  during  the  years  of  its  organization. 

Missionaries. 

The  women  who  went  from  Central  Mississippi  Presbytery 
as  Foreign  Missionaries  were:  Althea  Brown  Edmiston 
(colored)  who  sold  property  to  provide  her  own  outfit  and 
expense  to  Africa  in  1902.  The  lamented  (Mrs.  W.  M.) 
Bertha  Stebbins  Morrison,  to  Africa  in  1906,  and  (Mrs.  S.  C.) 
Ivittie  McMullen  Farrier,  to  China  in  1910,  and  Miss  Nettie 
McMullen  to  China.  Miss  Carrie  Primrose  (prior  to  1912) 
was  for  three  years  a  Home  Missionary  in  the  Kentucky  moun¬ 
tains. 

THE  MISSIONARY  UNION  OF  NORTH  MISSISSIPPI 

PRESBYTERY.  1909. 

The  women  of  the  Presbyterian  church  in  Senatobia  had 
a  Ladies’  Aid  for  years  previous  to  1908,  doing  local  work  and 
something  for  the  orphanage.  Mrs.  Laura  Patton  Seaton  visited 
friends  in  this  church,  and  through  her  influence  about  twelve 
or  fifteen  women  with  Mrs.  J.  H.  Bernard  as  one  of  the  leaders 
organized  a  Missionary  Society.  In  the  meantime  the  Metho¬ 
dist  women  held  one  of  their  conferences  in  the  town.  Some 
of  the  Presbyterian  women  attended,  among  them  Mrs.  J.  W. 
Caldwell,  who  said:  “Their  interchange  of  ideas  and  their  team 


MISSISSIPPI 


215 


work  seemed  quite  inspiring.”  A  few  months  later  the  women 
of  the  Christian  Church  held  a  convention.  “The  five  Pres¬ 
byterian  women  who  attended,  repaired  immediately  to  their 
church  to  hold  their  little  monthly  meeting,  which  seemed  lone¬ 
some  and  discouraging  because  so  few  came,  and  the  gifts  were 
so  small.  Mrs.  Caldwell  asked:  ‘Why  cannot  we  have  an  asso¬ 
ciation  of  Church  societies  and  learn  what  to  do  and  how  to  do 
it?’  After  earnest  discussion,  Mrs.  Caldwell  was  asked  to  write 
to  the  other  women’s  societies,  to  learn  if  they  would  enter  an 
organization.”  She  did  so,  receiving  favorable  answers  from 
Sardis,  Grenada,  Water  Valley,  Oxford,  Holly  Springs  and 
Hernando.  During  the  spring  meeting  of  Presbytery,  in  Sena- 
tobia  1909,  Rev.  C.  Z.  Berryhill  secured  the  permission  of 
Presbytery  for  an  organization.  So  far  as  is  now  known  there 
seemed  to  be  but  one  objection.  One  pastor  seemed  to  think 
such  an  organization  would  weaken  the  authority  of  the 
Presbytery.  An  attempt  was  made  to  organize  a  Missionary 
Union  at  that  time,  but  no  one  knew  just  how  to  proceed. 
Some  one  suggested  that  they  write  to  the  Foreign  Missions 
Committee,  which  was  done. 

On  the  invitation  of  Mrs.  W.  H.  Whitaker  for  the  ladies 
to  meet  in  the  Grenada  church,  May  12-13,  1909,  Mrs  J.  W. 
Caldwell  again  took  up  the  correspondence.  The  following 
societies  were  represented,  Oxford,  Water  Valley,  Holly  Springs, 
Tutwiler,  Senatobia  and  Grenada. 

The  Foreign  Missions  Committee  sent  Mrs.  A.  T.  Graybill 
to  help  in  the  organization,  and  on  May  13,  1909,  the  Mission¬ 
ary  Union  of  North  Mississippi  Presbytery  was  organized, 
with  Mrs.  J.  W.  Caldwell  elected  president,  and  Mrs.  W.  H. 
Whitaker,  visitor.  Mrs.  Whitaker  searched  out  and .  got  in 
touch  through  visiting  and  correspondence  with  every  society 
possible. 

At  their  meeting  in  1912  there  was  a  heated  discussion 
over  the  question  of  having  a  General  Secretary  of  Women’s 
Work.  There  was  considerable  opposition  to  the  plan,  but 


216 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


when  it  came  to  the  test,  North  Mississippi  Union  fell  in  line 
and  voted  in  favor  of  such  a  Secretary. 

Missionaries. 

Mrs.  (L.  J.)  Coralie  Lobdell  Coppedge  went  to  Africa  in 
1912. 

MERIDIAN  MISSIONARY  UNION.  1913. 

Through  the  efforts  of  Miss  Kate  Armistead,  who  had  been 
one  of  the  seven  charter  members  of  the  Newton  church  in  this 
Presbytery,  the  Missionary  Union  of  Meridian  Presbytery  was 
organized  in  1901,  only  the  women  of  the  Newton  church, 
Meridian  First,  and  Meridan  Second  churches  joining.  Miss 
Julia  Smith  was  elected  president,  and  Mrs.  Kate  Foster  secre¬ 
tary.  Two  annual  meetings  were  held.  But  the  women  of 
the  other  churches  were  indifferent,  and  some  of  the  ministers 
openly  opposed  it.  On  the  resignation  of  the  President  in  1904 
the  Union  was  disbanded.  But  the  work  of  the  few  faithful 
women  was  not  lost.  In  the  fall  of  1911,  Presbytery  began  to 
be  solicitous  about  the  better  organization  of  its  women.  In 
November  1912  it  appointed  Rev.  John  Goff  to  organize  a 
Presbyterial.  In  the  meantime  the  Mississippi  Synodical  had 
been  organized  and  the  Woman’s  Auxiliary  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church,  U.  S.,  had  come  into  existence. 

Mr.  Goff  promptly  wrote  to  all  societies  in  the  Presbytery, 
but  no  organization  was  effected  until  the  following  spring. 
Mrs.  J.  W.  Allen  took  up  the  matter.  The  societies  of  four 
churches,  Biloxi,  Magee,  Meridian  First,  and  Hattiesburg  Bay 
Street,  sent  representatives  to  Collins.  Mrs.  H.  M.  Syden- 
stricker,  Synodical  President  and  Mrs.  W.  H.  Whitaker,  Synod¬ 
ical  Secretary  of  Foreign  Missions,  met  with  them,  and  in 
April  1913  organized  Meridian  Presbyterial — completing  the 
Presbyterial  organizations  in  the  Synod.  Mrs.  J.  W.  Allen 
was  elected  president,  Mrs.  William  Megginson,  secretary.  Mrs. 
Allen  had  much  hard  pioneer  work  to  do,  but  she  did  it  sq 


MISSISSIPPI 


217 


well  that  she  soon  had  the  Presbyterial  thoroughly  organized. 
Mrs.  (Andrew)  Ella  Warde  Allison,  went  to  China  in  1910 
from  this  Presbytery. 

SYNODICAL  ORGANIZATION. 

The  Missionary  Conference  of  Mississippi  Synod.  1912. 

Following  the  action  taken  by  the  Missionary  Union  of 
Central  Mississippi  Presbytery  at  its  meeting  in  Forest,  October 
26,  1911,  toward  organizing  a  Missionary  Conference  in  the 
Synod,  Dr.  C.  T.  Thomson  presented  a  request  at  the  fall 
meeting  of  Presbytery  in  Greenville  1911  from  the  Central 
Mississippi  Missionary  Union  for  permission  to  enter  a  Synod¬ 
ical  Conference,  if  one  were  formed.  This  was  granted  without 
much  opposition.  He  further  secured  an  overture  from  the 
Central  Mississippi  Presbytery  to  Synod  in  regard  to  the 
organization  of  a  Synodical  Conference.  The  women  had 
already  prepared  a  request  to  Synod  for  permission  to  organize, 
basing  their  plea  on  the  action  taken  by  General  Assembly  at 
its  meeting  in  Lewisburg  1911. 

“This  Assembly  approves  of  the  organization  of  Women's 
Synodical  Missionary  Conferences,  whose  constitutions  accord 
with  the  established  principles  and  methods  of  work  of  our 
Church,  as  it  has  approved  of  similar  Presbyterial  organiza¬ 
tions.  In  accordance  with  these  principles  and  methods,  all 
such  Synodical  Unions  will  be  under  the  supervision  and  con¬ 
trol  of  the  Synods,  make  annual  reports  to  them,  and  send  their 
contributions  to  the  various  causes  through  the  regular  channels 
of  the  Church.” 

This  request,  together  with  the  overture  from  Central 
Mississippi  Presbytery  was  presented  to  Synod  in  the  fall  of 
1911  and  was  granted.  The  following  committee  on  Woman’s 
Work  in  the  Synod  was  appointed,  Rev.  C.  T.  Thomson,  D.  D., 
Rev.  C.  W.  Grafton,  D.  D.  and  Rev.  W.  Bristow  Gray,  D.  D. 

The  organization  meeting  was  held  at  Belhaven  College, 


218 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


Jackson,  June  20,  1912,  with  the  following  delegates  present: 
From  Central  Mississippi  Union,  Mrs.  W.  Bristow  Gray,  Mrs. 
C.  S.  Evarts,  Mrs.  William  Irvine;  Mississippi  Union,  Miss 
Lee  Crutcher,  Mrs.  H.  B.  Myers,  (Mrs.  C.  W.  Grafton  was 
unavoidably  detained) ;  North  Mississippi  Union,  Mrs.  W.  H. 
Whitaker,  Mrs.  J.  W.  Caldwell.  (Mrs.  H.  M.  Sydenstricker, 
and  Mrs.  J.  K.  Kaye,  delegates  for  East  Mississippi  Union 
detained  because  of  illness.) 

A  Constitution  was  adopted  and  Mrs.  H.  M.  Sydenstricker 
was  elected  President  andj  Mrs.  C.  S.  Evarts,  Secretary. 

Prayer  was  the  key-note  of  the  meeting.  At  its  close,  the 
officers  formed  a  prayer-band  pledged  to  pray  daily  for  each 
other  by  name,  and  for  the  work.  Whatever  success  has  at¬ 
tended  Synodical  is  due  to  this  spirit  of  prayer. 

SPECIAL  EDUCATIONAL  WORK. 

Assembly s  Training  School  Scholarship :  An  annual  schol¬ 
arship  was  established  in  Assembly’s  Training  School,  February 
1916. 

Support  i of  French  Camp  School :*  At  the  fourth  annual 
meeting,  June  1916,  Synod  asked  Synodical  to  raise  $2,500 
annually  toward  support  of  Synod’s  school  at  French  Camp, 
Mississippi.  With  a  membership  of  about  2,200  this  labor  of 
love  was  undertaken  in  addition  to  regular  benevolences.  In 
1918  when  Synod  considered  closing  the  school  the  women 
asked  for  its  continuance,  as  it  had  been  instrumental  in  in¬ 
fluencing  many  young  men  and  women  for  the  ministry  and 
special  service. 

“There  are  today  fifty-nine  students  training  for  service,  as 
ministers,  missionaries,  Sunday-school  workers,  nurses,  etc. 
This  comes  as  a  result  of  prayer  ascending  from  all  over 
Mississippi.  Does  the  church  need  the  French  Camp  Schools?” 

Henry  Wheeler  Memorial  Scholarship :  This  was  estab- 

*French  Camp  is  the  name  of  a  town  in  Central  Mississippi.  This 
school  does  not  represent  work  among  French  youth.  (Editors.) 


MISSISSIPPI 


219 


lished  in  the  Student  Loan  Fund  at  the  annual  meeting  June 
1920,  in  honor  of  Henry  Wheeler,  a  French  Camp  Student 
and  candidate  for  the  ministry,  who  gave  his  life  during  the 
World  War. 

Southwestern  Presbyterian  University  Fund :  In  addition 
to  gifts  from  individuals  to  the  fund  raised  in  1921-22,  to  re¬ 
move  Southwestern  Presbyterian  University  from  Clarksville, 
to  Memphis,  Tennessee,  many  auxiliaries  made  handsome  sub¬ 
scriptions,  the  auxiliary  of  First  Church,  Meredian,  leading 
all  other  auxiliaries  in  the  four  Synods’  interested. 

CONTRIBUTIONS  TO  THE  WOMAN’S  AUXILIARY. 

Auxiliary  Day  was  inaugurated  in  1916  by  Mrs.  Hugh 
Barr  Miller,  Synodical  secretary  of  S.  P.  C.  Missions  and  has 
ever  since  been  observed  in  Mississippi.  It  was  first  called 
“Rally  Day;”  later  Auxiliary  Day;  its  purpose:  “To  awaken 
interest  in  indifferent  churches;  bring  new  recruits  into  the 
service  of  the  King,  and  educate  our  women  in  Missions.” 
Mrs.  Miller  selected  and  supplied  suitable  literature  and  made 
valuable  suggestions  for  carrying  out  the  program. 

Prayer  Band  Covenant :  Mrs.  W.  H.  Whitaker  while  Presi¬ 
dent  of  North  Mississippi  Presbyterial,  prepared  and  printed 
in  1916,  a  Prayer-band  Covenant  for  use  in  her  own  Presby- 
tcrial.  It  was  later  used  for  two  years  by  the  Auxiliary. 

Questionnaire  For  Annual  Narrative  Report  of  Local 
Auxiliaries  was  prepared  by  Mrs.  W.  H.  Whitaker  in  1916 
to  secure,  in  concise  form,  desired  information  of  the  work  of 
local  societies.  It  was  adopted  by  Synodical  in  1917  and  is 
regularly  used,  being  annually  revised  to  suit  the  expanding 
work. 

Since  1915  Synodical  has  maintained  a  Woman’s  Auxil¬ 
iary  department  in  The  Mississippi  Visitor,  the  official  organ 
of  the  Synod.  The  department  editors  have  been:  Mrs.  Hugh 
Barr  Miller,  five  years;  Miss  Adelaide  Hainan,  one  year; 


220 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


Mrs.  D.  G.  McLaurin,  one  year;  and  Mrs.  W.  H.  Whitaker 
appointed  editor  in  1922. 

Mrs.  C.  S.  Evarts,  who  has  served  the  Synodical  as  Secre¬ 
tary  from  its  beginning,  never  missing  an  annual  meeting  nor 
an  executive  meeting  in  the  ten  years  of  its  history,  was  ap¬ 
pointed  Auxiliary  Visitor  in  1919.  For  more  than  a  year  she 
went  about  the  State  organizing  new  auxiliaries,  re-organizing 
Aid  and  Missionary  Societies  into  Auxiliaries,  interesting  un¬ 
affiliated  societies  to  come  into  their  Presbyterial,  etc.  In 
every  society  she  organized  a  Prayer-band,  in  many  she  or¬ 
ganized  Bible  and  Mission  Study  classes,  everywhere  striving 
to  deepen  the  spiritual  life.  The  membership  increased  eight 
hundred  (800)  that  year. 

TJnrfie  Missionaries. 

Among  the  Home  Missionaries  laboring  with  their  hus¬ 
bands  in  the  Southwest  are:  Mesdames  Alvin  Stokes,  Robert 
Hodson  and  J.  W.  Mosely.  Miss  Hattie  Belle  Davis  is  doing 
Plome  Mission  work  in  Mississippi  Synod.  In  the  Mountains 
are:  Misses  Kittie  Kimmons,  Edith  Evarts,  Osma  Newton, 
Estelle  Rawls,  Florence  Dolphy,  Vivian  Johnson,  Mary,  Pattie 
and  Lula  Ward,  Minnie  Bols,  Mary  McCain,  Sue  Davidson, 
Ruth  McPherson  and  Mrs.  Gladys  Bridges. 


MISSOURI 


221 


MISSOURI 


222 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


MISSOURI 


223 


MISSOURI 

History  tells  us  that  the  march  of  civilization  has  been 
Westward  in  the  past  centuries,  but  more  correctly  might  it 
be  said  that  the  flaming  torch  lighted  at  the  foot  of  the  Cross, 
carried,  under  the  guidance  of  the  Spirit,  by  Paul  and  all  the 
other  missionary  heroes  of  the  Church,  brightened  and  sancti¬ 
fied  by  persecution  and  martyrdom,  has  ever  traveled  West¬ 
ward. 

Animated  by  this  same  Spirit,  and  upheld  by  unfaltering 
trust  in^God,  Rev.  Salmon  Giddings,  commissioned  by  the  Con¬ 
necticut  Home  Mission  Society,  left  Hartford  in  December. 
1815,  and  made,  on  horseback,  the  journey  of  twelve  hundred 
miles,  in  mid-winter,  reaching  St.  Louis,  April  6th,  1816 — in 
which  town  there  was  no  Protestant  Church.  Not  being  re¬ 
ceived  kindly,  he  visited  other  settlements  Southward,  and  God 
was  plainly  opening  up  the  way  for  this  valiant  soldier  of  the 
Cross  to  organize  the  First  Presbyterian  Church  west  of  the 
great  “Father  of  Waters. ”  In  beautiful  Bellevue  Valley,  ex¬ 
tending  from  Big  River  on  the  North  to  Arcadia  on  the  South 
surrounded  by  the  lovely  foothills  of  the  Ozark  Mountains 
he  found  a  little  colony  of  sturdy  North  Carolinians,  who 
had  journeyed  Westward  and  settled  in  the  wilds  of  this  new 
country  about  fifty  miles  West  of  the  Mississippi  River.  Tra¬ 
dition  says  that  three  of  their  men  had  been  ordained  Elders 
before  leaving  their  Eastern  home,  looking  to  the  early  found¬ 
ing  of  a  church.  Here,  in  Bellevue  Valley,  he  organized,  on 
August  3rd,  1816,  this  little  colony,  into  the  Concord  Presby¬ 
terian  Church  (Now  Bellevue  Church  of  Caledonia,  Mo.)  with 
twenty  members,  who,  amidst  the  hardships  and  struggles  of 
pioneer  life,  felt  it  was  intrusted  to  them  to  hold  aloft  the 
torch  of  life  in  this  new  and  untried  country. 


224 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


Reverend  Mr.  Giddings  pushed  on  and  organized  the  Bon- 
homme  Church,  October  16th,  1816,  and  the  “Church  of  St. 
Louis,”  November  15th,  1817.  Of  this  last,  he  was  pastor  until 
his  death,  in  July,  1827. 

The  Presbytery  of  Missouri  was  organized  December  18th. 
1817,  and  embraced  all  the  territory  then  within  the  bounds 
of  Missouri  and  Illinois,  and  was  connected  with  the  Synod 
of  Tennessee.  At  this  organization,  only  three  ministers  were 
present:  Reverends  John  Matthews,  Thomas  Donnell  and 

Salmon  Giddings,  and  one  ruling  Elder,  Mr.  Stephen  Hemstead 
from  the  “Church  of  St.  Louis.”  The  three  churches  organized 
by  Mr.  Giddings  were  the  only  ones  to  report  and  enroll. 
Though  the  name  of  this  brave  Ambassador  of  the  Cross  has 
not  been  heralded  abroad,  yet  to  him  and  his  co-labourers, 
Presbyterianism  owes  a  debt  in  its  onward  march  across  the 
great  West  and  Southwest. 

In  1817,  Rev.  Thomas  Donnell  came  out  from  North  Caro¬ 
lina  and  assumed  the  pastorate  of  Concord  Church,  being  in¬ 
stalled  in  April,  1818,  at  the  residence  of  Mr.  Wm.  Sloan, 
an  Elder.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  .Sloan  seem  to  have  been  the  Priscilla 
and  Aquilla  of  this  church.  This  little  band  of  pioneers  ral¬ 
lied  nobly  to  the  assistance  of  their  pastor.  As  in  all  of  these 
early  churches,  the  women  were  active  in  heroic  efforts  and 
sacrificial  giving,  that  they  might  have,  first  of  all,  a  building 
in  which  to  worship.  Around  their  first  log  church  was  ar¬ 
ranged  a  “camp-ground”  with  a  number  of  log  cabins  to  ac¬ 
commodate  those  who  came  from  a  long  distance.  The  women 
took  their  very  best  carpets,  bedding  and  household  accessories 
for  the  entertainment  of  the  ministry,  and  gave  themselves  un¬ 
sparingly  in  preparing  and  serving  at  tables,  many  families 
leaving  their  homes  for  weeks  and  giving  willing  service  to  the 
church.  These  camp  meetings  were  held  three  or  four  times 
a  year,  prior  to  the  Communion  Season,  and  were  times  of  great 
refreshing  when  many  were  claimed  for  Christ.  These  elect 
ladies,  by  their  cheery  welcome,  attracted  many  to  the  church 


MISSOURI 


225 


and  little  dreamed  thev  were  doing  anything  but  common,  every- 
dav  tasks,  when  in  realitv,  thev  were  establishing  true  worship 

W  ‘  9  t  J  O  X 

amidst  a  people,  many  of  whom  were  French  and  Catholic 
making  possible  an  entering  wedge  of  Protestantism  into  this 
vast  region. 

BRAZEAU  CHURCH— 1819. 

The  dame  spread,  and  Rev.  Thomas  Donnell  formed  an¬ 
other  church  at  Brazeau  in  1819.  Mrs.  Margaret  Huey,  a 
notable  lady  of  this  congregation,  was  born  in  North  Caro¬ 
lina  in  1  75  7  and  lived  to  the  ripe  old  age  of  ninety-six  years 
She  did  wonderful  constructive  work  in  teaching  the  Bible  and 
Catechism  to  all  the  children  around  her — black  as  well  as 
white. 

Anpther  remarkable  woman  who  was  called  a  “veritable 
mother  in  Israel"  was  Mrs.  Sarah  Milster.  A  long  line  of 
her  descendants  held  the  ofdce  of  Elder  in  Brazeau  Church — 
sons,  grandsons,  nephews,  brother  and  cousin — all  of  whom 
doubtless  came  under  the  induence  of  her  Godly  life  and 
practical  piety. 

BOONYILLE  CHURCH— 1821. 

This  is  the  oldest  Presbyterian  Church  organized  in  Cen¬ 
tral  Missouri.  It  was  founded  by  men  sent  out  bv  the  Gen- 
eral  Assembly  the  same  year  Missouri  was  admitted  as  a  State 
into  the  Union.  The  faithful  few  men  and  women,  in  patient 
self-denial  and  endurance,  laid  broad  and  deep  the  founda¬ 
tion,  and  the  missionary  spirit  was  strong  and  active  from 
the  very  beginning.  As  early  as  1840,  the  education  of  a 
native  boy  in  India  was  undertaken;  then  the  Sunday-school 
took  up  the  support  of  a  girl.  The  most  active  worker  for 
missions  was  Miss  Sue  Williams,  later  Mrs.  Lamkin,  the  in¬ 
duence  of  her  noble  life  being  unbounded.  In  1853,  two  young 
lives  in  this  church,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  C.  Loomis,  became  so  im¬ 
bued  with  the  spirit  of  their  Master,  that  they  gave  themselves 
to  labor  in  dark  Africa,  where  Mrs.  Loomis  and  her  little  child 


226 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


gave  their  lives  for  those  benighted  people.  Those  links  with 
other  lands  so  stirred  a  few  godly  women  that  they  organized 
a  weekly  prayer-meeting  to  intercede  “for  the  speedy  evangeli¬ 
zation  of  the  world.”  Offerings  for  missions  were  taken  at 
the  meetings,  which  thus  possessed  two  important  factors  of  a 
missionary  society — prayer  and  gfts.  This  little  prayer  band 
of  nine  women  was  simply  called  “Mrs.  Smith’s  Prayer-Meeting” 
and  it  is  needless  to  say  it  was  Mrs.  Smith’s  gracious,  sweet- 
spirited  personality  that  held  them  together. 

The  next  pioneer  church  to  be  organized  was  Auxvasse 
(in  1831,  changed  to  Palmyra),  near  Fulton,  in  1823,  and  in 
July,  1832,  Rev.  Thomas  Donnell  pushed  farther  into  the  wil¬ 
derness  and  organized  a  church  of  six  members — two  men  and 
four  women— in  the  picturesque  little  hamlet  of  Potosi,  the 
second  oldest  town  in  the  State.  The  Fulton  Church  was 
organized  in  1835  with  twelve  members  and  Lexington  Church 
in  1839,  “with  five  male  and  seventeen  female  members.” 

It  is  most  interesting  to  read  the  records  of  these  pioneer 
churches — how  the  sessions,  moderated  bv  their  fearless  min- 
isters,  called  before  their  courts  for  trials,  those  who  had  ab¬ 
sented  themselves  continuously  from  the  services  of  the  House 
cf  the  Lord;  those  who  had  become  intoxicated,  danced  or 
given  dances  at  their  homes,  and  those  who  spoke  ill  of  theii 
neighbors.  If  there  was  not  satisfactory  evidence  of  sorrow 
and  repentance  for  sins,  they  were  suspended  from  the  fel¬ 
lowship  of  the  Church. 

In  the  earliest  history  of  these  pioneer  churches,  it  is  evi¬ 
dent  that  the  women  were  very  important  factors  in  their  de¬ 
velopment  and  growth,  but,  if  any  societies  of  any  kind  were 
organized,  no  record  can  be  found.  But  a  little  later,  there  is 
here  a  “Prayer  Band,”  there  “Faithful  Workers’  Society,” 
“Bands  of  Seven,”  or  Aid  Societies  for  concerted  action  in 
building  up  their  own  mission  fields.  (A  foreshadowing  of 
our  Circle  plan.)  The  records  are  meagre  but  it  is  the  story 
of  their  banding  themselves  together  to  raise  money  to  help 


MISSOURI 


227 


build  churches,  erect  manses,  buy  organs,  communion  sets, 
belfries,  hymn-books,  and  the  essential  things  for  worshiping 
God.  A  brief  recital,  but  the  discerning  mind  and  sympathetic 
heart  can  read  between  the  lines  a  story  of  heroic  self-sacrifice; 
ceaseless  toil  and  a  quenchless  faith  in  the  righteousness  of 
their  cause. 

In  1850,  at  Cape  Girardeau,  under  the  leadership  of  Dr. 
O.  E.  Y.  Rice  and  his  efficient  wife,  the  women  banded  them¬ 
selves  together  “to  support  the  church  and  erect  a  substantial 
brick  building.”  There  were  so  few  men  in  the  membership 
that  the  women  had  to  collect  the  preacher’s  salary,  so  one  is 
not  surprised  to  find  that  this  is  one  of  the  bands  “most  active 
in  organizing  the  missionary  movement  in  Potosi  Presbytery” 
some  years  later.  They  felt  the  importance  of  linking  up 
evangelism  with  education  and  Mrs.  Rice  gave  herself  un¬ 
tiringly  to  the  raising  of  money  for  a  Young  Ladies’  Semi¬ 
nary,  even  making  the  hazardous  trip  to  New  Orleans  to  se¬ 
cure  funds  for  the  school.  Their  efforts  were  crowned  with 
success  and  Washington  Seminary  for  Young  Ladies  was  estab¬ 
lished  with  two  of  Mrs.  Rice’s  sisters,  Mrs.  Andrews,  and  Mrs. 
Gardner,  in  charge. 


FOREIGN  MISSION  WORK. 

As  late  as  1837,  not  only  Missouri,  but  States  in  the  Far 
East  were  looking  with  indifference  and  suspicion  on  the  great 
Foreign  Missionary  work.  Mrs.  B.  R.  Ireland,  of  Lexington. 
Mo.,  has  a  letter  received  by  her  mother,  when  the  great  mis¬ 
sionary  to  Africa,  Robert  Moffat,  visited  the  United  States,  in 
which  are  these  words:  “1  know  you  will  think  I  rave,  if  I 
dare  write  half  I  feel  about  Moffat,  and  truly  I  have  not  lan¬ 
guage  to  express  myself.  You,  like  others,  are  perhaps  preju¬ 
diced.  He  was  received  very  cooly  and  regarded  with  sus 
picion.  But  a  transformation  has  taken  place;  all  the  churches 
are  closed  and  ministers  are  sending  their  congregations  to  hear 
him.  However,  I  am  afraid  part  of  the  change  is  due  to 


228 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


Henry  Clay’s  declaration  that  Moffat  was  the  greatest  orator 
of  the  day — nevertheless,  deep  impressions  are  being  made.” 

In  the  settling  up  of  a  new  country,  in  erecting  churches 
and  manses,  one  readily  sees  the  predominating  need  of  the 
“Pastor’s  Aid.”  So  many  had  grave  problems  of  their  own 
and  their  neighbors’  to  solve,  that  naturally,  these  claimed  their 
prayers  and  labors  and  their  horizon  was  limited.  But  earnest 
missionary  pastors  and  a  few  noble  women,  who  had  caught 
the  meaning  of  “Go  ye  into  all  the  world,”  by  the  power  of 
their  zeal,  and  by  constant  importunity,  became  a  moving  force, 
barely  perceptible  at  first,  but  which  bore  fruit  in  the  gradual 
organizing  of  societies  for  “cultivating  piety  amongst  its  mem¬ 
bers,  and  for  studying  about  and  giving  to  both  Foreign  and 
Home  Missions.” 

With  the  forming  of  .these  societies  for  enlarged  work, 
there  crept  into  the  hearts  of  the  leading  women  the  convic¬ 
tion  that  something  else  was  needed  to  make  these  organiza¬ 
tions  permanent  and  more  efficient.  In  the  words  of  our  gifted 
Superintendent,  Mrs.  Winsborough,  “After  much  thought  and 
prayer,  a  small  group  of  women,  scattered  throughout  the 
church,  undertook  to  bring  order  out  of  chaos,  and  began,  by 
correspondence,  the  agitation  that  finally  led  to  the  organiza¬ 
tion  of  the  First  Missionary  Union  in  the  Southern  Assembly. 
The  moving  spirit  of  this  courageous  band  of  pioneer  women 
was  Miss  Jennie  Hanna,  of  Central  Presbyterian  Church,  Kan¬ 
sas  City — a  young  girl  still  in  her  teens,  with  the  divine  optism- 
ism  of  youth  inspiring  her  service.”  Miss  Hanna’s  first  effort 
in  missionary  organization  was  in  1878,  when,  at  the  sugges¬ 
tion  of  her  pastor’s  wife,  Mrs.  H.  B.  Boude,  she  formed  her 
.Sunday-school  class  of  young  girls  into  a  Missionary  Band. 
She  felt  the  need  of  guidance,  and  looking  about  her  for  help, 
she  found  no  organization  of  women  in  her  own  beloved  South¬ 
ern  Church  to  assist  her.  This  great  need  gripped  her  heart, 
and,  though  only  a  young  tender  girl,  she  threw  herself  into 
the  breach.  She  found  kindred  spirits  all  over  the  church, 


MISSOURI 


229 


grappling  with  the  same  great  problem;  and,  coming  in  contact 
by  correspondence  with  that  noble  woman,  Mrs.  Josiah  Sibley, 
of  Augusta,  Ga.,  these  two  agreed,  in  1886  or  1887,  without 
waiting  for  anyone  else,  to  “undertake  to  reach  everyone  of 
the  two  thousand  churches  in  our  Assembly.”  (See  Chapter 
on  Building  of  the  Auxiliary.) 

In  1888,  Miss  Hanna  was  asked  by  the  Presbytery  of 
Upper  Missouri,  to  organize  the  Woman’s  Societies  of  their 
Presbytery  into  a  Union,  but  her  body,  frail  at  best,  was  at¬ 
tacked  by  a  long  illness  and  this  work,  so  dear  to  her  heart, 
failed  of  fruition,  until  the  Spring  of  1893.  No  human  pen 
can  do  justice  to  the  toil,  the  giving  of  strength  of  body  and 
soul,  the  incense  of  importunate  prayer,  the  offering  of  her 
best  afid  all  on  this  Altar  of  Service  for  her  Lord  and  Church. 

ORGANIZATION  OF  PRESBYTERIAL  UNIONS. 

Lafayette,  1892. 

Mrs.  L.  P.  Bowen,  of  Marshall,  Mo.,  to  whom  “Foreign 
Missions  was  an  inspiration  and  almost  an  idol,”  eagerly  re¬ 
sponded  to  the  call  for  the  organization  of  Woman’s  Societies 
into  closer  bonds  of  comradeship;  and  encouraged  and  assisted 
by  Dr.  W.  R.  Dobyns,  she  wrote  to  all  the  societies  of  Lafay¬ 
ette  Presbytery,  inviting  them  to  send  delegates  to  Marshall 
to  assist  in  organizing  a  Union.  Seven  societies  responded, 
and  on  May  24th,  1892,  was  organized  the  “Woman’s  Mis¬ 
sionary  Union  of  Lafayette  Presbytery,”  the  first  organization 
of  the  kind  in  the  Synod  of  Missouri. 

Mrs.  Bowen,  who,  from  this  time,  was  lovingly  called  the 
“Mother  of  Lafayette  Union,”  refused  the  presidency,  and 
Mrs.  H.  B.  Boude,  of  Pleasant  Hill,  was  elected  President, 
and  Miss  Sadie  Buckland,  of  Marshall,  Secretary  and  Treas¬ 
urer.  A  constitution  was  drawn  up  and  adopted  and  one  of 
the  aims  stated  was  to  secure  the  organization  of  missionary 
societies  in  every  church  in  the  Presbytery,  which  it  accom- 


230 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


plished  very,  rapidly.  The  speedy  attainment  of  this  aim  is 
due  especially  to  the  splendid  personnel  of  the  women  who 
were  at  the  helm — to  Mrs.  L.  P.  Bowen  and  Mrs.  H.  B.  Boude. 
who  had  had  special  training  as  the  wives  of  pastors,  and 
to  Mrs.  B.  R.  Ireland,  wfio  still  abides  (1923)  in  freshness  and 
vigor  of  heart  and  mind  in  her  eighty-sixth  year!  She  was  the 
second  President  of  the  Union,  and  brought  to  her  task  a 
thoroughly  trained  intellect,  a  graceful  and  pleasing  personality, 
consecrated  tact  and  a  beautiful  spirit-filled  life.  By  her  pa¬ 
tient,  constant  endeavor,  she  made  possible,  in  the  Providence 
of  God,  perhaps,  more  than  any  one  person,  the  splendid  his¬ 
tory  of  Lafayette  Pinion.  By  pen,  as  teacher  in  Elizabeth  Aull 
Seminary,  as  President  for  eighteen  years  of  the  Missionary 
Society  of  Lexington  Church,  as  Sunday-school  worker,  for 
more  than  twenty-five  years,  her  life  has  wielded  a  powerful 
influence  all  over  the  State. 

The  value  of  the  work  increased,  by  stressing  activites 
among  children  and  young  people,  by  appointing  field  secre¬ 
taries  to  organize  and  stimulate  mission  study  classes,  by  linking 
up  societies  with  the  Foreign  Field,  through  the  support  of  repre¬ 
sentatives  from  their  own  midst,  by  the  consecrated  conservatism 
of  their  leaders,  who  never  forced  any  issue  upon  the  societies 
or  the  Union;  and  last,  but  not  least,  the  unfailing  support, 
sympathy  and  advice  of  those  splendid  missionary  pastors  who 
filled  the  pulpits  of  Lafayette  Presbytery  in  those  early  days — 
Rev.  J.  W.  Wallace,  Drs.  L.  P.  Bowen,  H.  B.  Boude,  J.  M. 
Cheney,  George  L.  Leyburn,  A.  S.  Moffett,  E.  C.  Gordon — 
all  of  sainted  memory — W.  R.  Dobyns  and  many  other  young 
pastors  who  not  only  gave  their  consent,  but  enthusiastic  sup¬ 
port. 

The  Union  is  justly  proud  of  those  who  have  gone  from 
the  Presbytery  to  carry  the  glad  tidings  to  distant  lands:  Mrs 
Kate  Boude  Moore,  Mrs.  Grace  Fields  Myers,  Miss  Eliza 
Reed,  Mrs.  Lida  Montgomery  Hall,  Mrs.  Sallie  Chambers 
Cooper,  Miss  Elinora  Lynch,  Rev.  and  Mrs.  J.  W.  Allen,  Miss 


MISSOURI 


231 


Nora  Dawson,  to  Alaska,  under  U.  S.  A.  Board,  and  Miss 
Cornelia  Morgan,  to  China,  under  the  China  Inland  Mission. 


Upper  Missouri — 1893. 

In  May,  1893,  a  preliminary  meeting  was  called  to  con¬ 
vene  in  Central  Church,  Kansas  City,  to  make  plans,  draw 
up  a  constitution  and  elect  officers  for  a  permanent  organiza¬ 
tion.  This  meeting  adjourned  to  meet  October  19th,  1893, 
in  Central  Church,  when  Upper  Missouri  Union  was  organized 
with  five  societies  as  charter  members.  .Since  that  time  the 
Union  has  increased  to  nineteen  societies. 

Within  the  bounds  of  this  Presbytery  are  two  cities  with 
large  churches,  containing  many  women  of  culture  and  initia¬ 
tion,  which  has  strengthened  greatly  this  splendid  work  for 
the  Master.  With  such  women  in  Central  Church,  Kansas 
City,  as  Miss  Jennie  Hanna,  Mrs.  S.  M.  Neel,  Mrs.  Wins- 
borough,  Mrs.  Geo.  English  and  other  choice  spirits,  potent 
work  has  been  accomplished.  Mrs.  S.  M.  Neel,  the  wife  of  the 
pastor  of  Central  Church,  was  the  daughter  of  a  missionary, 
Dr.  John  B.  Adger,  and  brought  rare  gifts  of  character  and 
training  to  the  missionary  work  of  that  Church.  To  her  be¬ 
longs  the  honor  or  discerning  the  capability  and  undeveloped 
talents  of  our  efficient  Superintendent,  Mrs.  Winsborough,  and 
of  having  given  her  the  first  active  work,  that  of  Secretary  of 
Literature,  which  was  to  develop  it  to  such  great  significance. 
Mrs.  Winsborough,  the  granddaughter  of  a  pioneer  Home  Mis¬ 
sionary  of  the  West,  and  a  daughter  of  the  Manse,  was  one 
of  the  leaders  in  the  organization  of  the  work  among  the  Italians 
in  Kansas  City,  Missouri,  undertaken  by  Central  Church  which 
today  is  bearing  such  rich  fruits,  and  also  of  the  Mission  to 
Slavs  in  Kansas  City,  Kansas,  now  under  the  Woman’s  Board 
of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  U.  S.  A. 

The  First  Church,  St.  Joseph,  has  the  oldest  Missionary 
Society  in  the  Presbytery,  organized  in  1868,  and  from  this 
Church  has  gone  out  to  distant  lands,  four  ambassadors  of 


232 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


the  cross — Miss  Annie  Dysart,  to  Mexico;  Miss  Sadie  Buck- 
land,  Miss  Julia  Martin,  and  Mrs.  Julia  Dysart  Bell  to  Korea. 

It  was  a  day  never  to  be  forgotten  when  the  King’s  Daugh¬ 
ters  of  this  church,  of  whom  the  last  three  young  ladies  were 
members,  entertained  that  Godly  missionary  physician,  Dr. 
Wylie  Forsythe,  at  luncheon.  After  a  simple  prayer  of  thanks, 
he  put  before  them  with  burning  eagerness  the  contrast  between 
their  condition  and  that  of  their  sisters  in  Korea,  and,  glancing 
around  upon  their  bright  eager  faces,  he  asked,  “Who  is  willing 
to  go  to  Korea  in  loving  service  for  the  Lord?”  A  moment  of 
tense  silence,  and  one  young  lady  said:  “I  will  go.”  Another 
said:  “I  can’t  go,  but  will  give  to  her  support.”  Another! 
and  another!  until  three  choice  young  women,  coming  under 
the  influence  of  Dr.  Forsythe’s  consuming  passion  for  souls, 
had  given  themselves,  and  others  in  the  Church  had  pledged 
their  support. 

One  of  the  outstanding  Congregational  Home  Mission 
Endeavors  of  First  Church  was  the  “Mothers’  Meetings,”  at 
Riverside.  Every  week,  some  of  the  elect  women  went  out  tc 
this  little  mission  church  among  the  poor,  and  taught  the 
women  how  to  sew  and  care  for  their  children,  giving  them 
also  instruction  in  the  Bible. 

Mrs.  Bettie  Pindell,  for  years  a  member  of  First  Church 
and  also  one  of  the  charter  members  of  Second  Church,  St. 
Joseph,  was  a  woman  of  varied  gifts,  of  wealth,  culture,  deep 
piety,  but  pre-eminently  a  woman  of  prayer.  She  was  closely 
identified  with  the  work  of  Upper  Missouri  Union,  and  was 
chairman  of  the  first  committee  appointed  to  draw  up  resolu¬ 
tions  looking  to  the  organization  of  Missouri  Synodical. 

The  women  of  this  Union  gave  liberally  to  the  support  of 
the  School  of  the  Ozarks,  which  was  established  by  the  Synod 
of  Missouri,  for  the  mountain  youths  in  the  southwestern  part 
of  the  State. 

Besides  the  young  women  who  went  out  to  foreign  fields 
from  First  Church,  St.  Joseph,  Miss  Meta  Biggar  went  from 


MISSOURI 


233 


Central  Church,  Kansas  City,  Mrs.  Emily  Cordell  McCallie, 
from  Eastminster,  Kansas  City,  and  Miss  Lulu  Frances,  from 
Hyde  Park,  St.  Joseph,  under  the  U.  ,S.  A.  Board. 

St.  Louis  Union,  1893. 

At  the  same  time  the  organization  of  Upper  Missouri 
Union  was  taking  place  in  May,  1893,  some  Godly  women  of 
St.  Louis  Presbytery,  with  the  endorsement  of  their  pastors  and 
Presbytery,  met  at  Grand  Ave.,  Presbyterian  Church  (West¬ 
minster),  St.  Louis,  and  brought  into  existence  “The  Woman’s 
Home  and  Foreign  Missionary  Union  of  St.  Louis  Presbytery.” 
Mrs.  M.  G.  Gorin,  of  St.  Louis,  was  elected  first  President, 
and  this  Union  has  been  unique  in  that  it  has  always  held  two 
meetings  each  year:  its  annual  business  meeting  in  April,  when 
reports  are  read,  business  transacted,  and  plans  laid  out  for 
the  next  year’s  work;  and  in  October,  a  praise,  or  entirely  in¬ 
spirational  meeting. 

Mr.  Thomas  McPheeters  had,  for  a  long  time,  been  Super¬ 
intendent  of  a  Sunday-school  for  colored  people  in  Bethany 
Church,  St.  Louis,  which  resulted  in  an  Industrial  School  be¬ 
ing  started  by  Central  and  Grand  Ave.  Churches.  The  women 
from  the  two  churches  took  charge  of  the  work.  Classes  were 
taught,  including  religious  instruction,  and  sewing  lessons. 
The  Bible  and  Shorter  Catechism  were  the  main  text-books. 
In  1898  a  Missionary  Society  was  organized  among  them  and 
admitted  into  Llnion.  This  is  the  only  record  of  such  work 
in  the  Synod  of  Missouri. 

Palmyra  Union — 1893. 

Rev.  J.  E.  Latham,  Pastor  of  South  Fork  Church,  Santa 
Fe,  took  the  initiative,  and  asked  that  representatives  be  sent 
from  all  the  Woman’s  Societies  to  meet  in  conjunction  with 
Presbytery,  September,  1893,  in  order  to  organize  these  socie¬ 
ties  into  a  missionary  Union.  There  was  ready  response  and  the 
“Woman’s  Foreign  Missionary  Union  of  Palmyra  Presbytery” 


234 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


was  organized,  with  Mrs.  L.  O.  Thompson,  of  Monroe  Citv, 
as  first  President.  They  adopted  the  Constitution  and  By- 
Laws  of  Lafayette  Union,  and  it  worked  for  years  for  Foreign 
Missions  alone;  seeing  that  a  “certain  per  cent  of  the  gifts  of 
each  Society  was  given  to  Foreign  Missions.” 

Rev.  Mr.  Latham  was  called  the  “Father  of  the  Union” 
and  Mrs.  Latham  was  a  valued  assistant.  Mrs.  West  was  the 
“Leading  woman  of  the  Union”  and  when  she  moved  out  of 
the  Presbytery,  she  “cast  her  mantle”  upon  the  shoulders  of 
Mrs.  F.  W.  Lane,  of  Palmyra,  who  served  most  capably  and 
untiringly  for  three  years  as  Vice-president,  and  twenty-two 
years  as  Secretary,  without  being  absent,  tardy,  or  leaving  before 
the  close  of  any  session ! 

The  growth  of  the  Union  was  discouraging,  and  in  1902 
they  felt  they  were  losing  ground — the  “ubiquitous  aid  society” 
clogged  their  progress.  They  appealed  to  Presbytery  for  help, 
urging  the  ministers  to  uphold  them  by  preaching  Foreign 
Mission  sermons.  After  uniting  with  Presbytery  in  the  support 
of  two  foreign  workers,  their  interest  and  gifts  more  than  dou¬ 
bled  in  three  years  and  a  systematic  study  of  missions  began. 
A  new  era  dawned  in  1906,  when  Rev.  J.  O.  Reavis,  a  son  of 
the  Presbytery,  and  Dr.  Wylie  Forsythe,  brought  to  them  burn¬ 
ing  messages  of  the  needs  of  the  “Regions  Beyond,”  and  soon 
they  were  uniting  themselves  in  a  stronger  bond  to  these  lands 
vdien  Miss  Mada  McCutchan  and  her  brothers,  Mr.  Hugh  Mc- 
Cutchan  and  Rev.  J.  P.  McCutchan,  and  wife,  gave  themselves 
for  China,  and  Mrs.  Russie  Anderson  Newton  went  out  under 
the  U.  S.  A.  Board. 

Palmyra  Church  is  not  only  the  oldest  church  in  this  Pres¬ 
bytery,  being  organized  in  1831,  by  Dr.  David  Nelson,  but 
has  the  oldest  missionary  society,  organized  in  1879,  with  Mrs 
Fannie  Armstrong  as  President — “A  most  beautiful,  conse 
crated  Christian  character.”  In  the  early  sixties,  an  aid  societv 
was  formed,  composed  of  Godly  women  of  old  Virginia  and 
Kentucky  stock — Mrs.  Fannie  Anderson,  Mrs.  J.  W.  Pryor. 


MISSOURI 


235 


Mrs.  W.  J.  Jackson,  Mrs.  W.  A.  Payne,  Mrs.  H.  H.  WinchelF 
M  rs.  G.  W.  Lane,  and  many  others.  They  gave  wonderful 
fairs  and  entertainments,  contributing  beautiful  handwork. 
There  has  been  splendid  advance  along  the  lines  of  Christian 
giving  and  stewardship  since  that  day,  but  what  about  Christian 
living?  The  family  altar  was  the  rule  in  Palmyra  homes  and 
Sabbath  desecration  almost  unknown ! 

Missouri  Union — 1895. 

It  was  “after  months  of  discussion,  consideration  and 
prayer”  that  the  “Woman's  Missionary  Union  of  Missouri 
Presbytery”  was  organized.  In  May,  1895,  Mexico  Church 
invited  the  other  societies  to  meet  with  them  to  organize.  Four 
societies  .sent  delegates,  and  after  a  stirring  address  from  Dr. 
W.  R.  Dobyns,  of  Marshall,  they  effected  an  organization  with 
the  gifted  Mrs.  Anne  Lacy  Hoge  Marquess,  as  President.  Four 
other  societies  were  added  to  this  band  of  workers,  but  with 
all  their  efforts,  they  felt  they  accomplished  very  little  in  the 
formative  years,  their  only  definite  work  being  the  support  of  a 
cot  in  a  Korean  Flospital. 

But  glance  at  their  service  flag  and  see  how  many  of  their 
fair  young  women  have  enlisted  as  missionaries:  Misses  Flor¬ 
ence  and  Annie  Patton,  Mattie  Tate,  Carrie  Cunningham. 
Winona  Evans,  Lillian  Curd,  Mrs.  Matsie  Curd  Ostrom,  and 
four  men,  Rev.  Mr.  Tate  and  Prof.  C.  C.  Knight,  Rev  H.  C. 
Ostrom,  Rev.  O.  F.  Yates. 

No  character  stands  out  more  vividly  in  the  Union  than 
Mrs.  Anne  Lacy  Hoge  Marquess,  who  “was  born  in  Virginia, 
in  a  Godly,  cultivated  home,  reared  amidst  the  vigorous  atmos¬ 
phere  of  Calvinism,  surrounded  by  brilliant  intellectual  society” 
and  when  married  to  Prof.  W.  H.  Marquess,  was  only  trans¬ 
planted  into  a  like  atmosphere.  ,She  was  a  student  of  the  Bible 
and  as  the  years  went  by,  became  more  filled  with  its  knowledge 
and  spirit.  “Her  prayers  and  talks  on  missions  were  won¬ 
derful  and  soul-uplifting.”  To  the  last,  she  was  most  heroic 


236 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


and  patient  in  endurancel.  On  h|er  sick  bed  her  interest 
in  missions  did  not  languish  and  many  were  the  prayers  that 
went  up  from  her  room  for  that  great  cause.  Her  life 
added  lustre  to  the  escutcheon  of  the  noble  family  to  which 
she  belonged.  She  was  a  sister  of  that  persuasive  pulpit  orator, 
Rev.  Moses  Drury  Hoge,  D.  D.,  and  mother  of  the  Rev.  Wm. 
II.  Marquess,  D.  D.,  one  of  the  finest  Bible  teachers  the  South¬ 
ern  Church  has  produced. 

The  Woman’s  Missionary  Society  of  Fulton  Church  has 
priority  in  organization,  in  1880.  It  had,  in  conjunction  with 
the  Society,  a  Prayer  Band,  some  of  whom  were  powerful  in 
prayer — the  sainted  Mrs.  Amanda  Patton,  Mrs.  Philip  Buny 
and  Mrs.  Guthrie  were  notable  examples.  Mrs.  Julia  McNair 
Wright,  the  gifted  author,  was  an  able  and  consecrated  mem¬ 
ber  of  this  society  for  some  years,  and  Mrs.  J.  R.  Henderson 
was,  for  seven  years,  the  efficient  President  of  the  Woman’s 
Union. 


Potosi  Union — 1895. 

The  Presbytery  of  Potosi  did  not  wish  their  women,  de¬ 
scendants  of  those  noble  women  who  had  labored  for  the  first 
establishment  of  Presbyterianism  West  of  the  Mississippi  River, 
to  lag  behind  the  other  women  of  the  State  in  effective  work 
in  the  Lord’s  Kingdom,  so  they  asked  the  Woman’s  Societies 
to  send  delegates  to  Farmington  in  1895,  to  organize  the 
Woman’s  Missionary  Union  of  Potosi.  Six  societies  became 
charter  members  of  this  organization,  with  Mrs.  S.  A.  McElroy, 
President.  Their  first  resolve  “was  to  contribute  to  foreign 
missionaries  who  may  go  out  from  this  Presbytery.”  At  their 
fourth  annual  meeting,  Mrs.  G.  W.  Harlan  was  elected  Presi¬ 
dent,  which  office  she  held  for  fourteen  years,  being  “the  heart, 
mind  and  soul  of  the  Union.”  Here  began  a  ministry  of  lov¬ 
ing,  patient,  self-effacing  service,  in  which  her  husband  as¬ 
sisted  hep  that  cannot  be  reckoned,  The  Union  bears  testi- 


Missouri 


2  31 


raony  that  its  history  is  inseparably  bound  up  with  the  memory 
of  these  two  Christian  leaders. 

Those  first  years  were  years  of  struggle,  with  so  few  attend¬ 
ing,  lack  of  helps  for  programs,  with  many  like  trials,  but  when 
some  of  the  country  societies  united,  they  proved  veritable  bul¬ 
warks  and  through  the  coming  years,  the  zeal  of  the  country 
women  is  one  of  the  outstanding  features  of  this  history.  They 
attended  regularly,  gave  most  excellent  contributions  to  the  pro¬ 
grams,  and  were  faithful  to  all  duties  assigned.  From  this 
Presbyterial  have  gone  Misses  Addie  and  Gertrude  Sloan,  to 
labor  in  China,  and  Miss  Sala  Evans,  to  Japan,  and  Mrs. 
Plummer  Smith,  to  Africa. 

ORGANIZATION  OF  MISSOURI  SYNODICAL— 1910. 

The  farsighted  leaders  in  the  organization  of  Woman’s 
Work  had  not  only  as  their  goal  the  organization  of  Women’s 
Societies  into  Presbyterial  Unions,  and  these  unions  into  Synodi- 
cals — this  was  just  the  foundation  for  a  larger  fuller  work. 

At  the  Presbyterial  Union  of  Upper  Missouri  in  Kansas 
City,  October,  1909,  the  formation  of  a  Synodical  was  urged 
and  the  reason  given  for  hastening  the  State  Organization  was 
“the  larger  union  of  all  Synodicals  into  one  body,  but  so  weak 
was  the  faith  of  some,  it  was  advised  that  no  mention  of  a 
general  body  be  made  publicly  if  we  wished  to  succeed.”  There 
were,  at  this  time,  only  three  Synodical  Unions  in  the  Southern 
Church.  St.  Louis  Presbyterial  Union  had  suggested  a  Synodi¬ 
cal  Union  in  Missouri  as  early  as  1894,  and  Potosi,  in  1905, 
had  taken  steps  towards  generating  interest,  so  when  Upper 
Missouri  Presbyterial  Union  invited  the  other  five  Presbyterial 
Unions  to  meet  with  her  in  Central  Church,  Kansas  City,  March 
1910,  for  the  organizations  of  Missouri  Synodical,  all  Unions 
sent  delegates  and  an  organization  was  effected,  with  Mrs.  Kerr, 
of  Fulton,  as  President.  The  first  annual  meeting  after  organi¬ 
zation,  was  held  in  St.  Louis,  in  the  Spring  of  1911,  at  which 
time  Mrs.  Kerr,  leaving  the  State,  Mrs.  D.  A.  McMillan  was 


238 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


elected  President  and  into  her  able  and  efficient  hands  fell  the 
real  task  of  systematizing  and  leading  out  the  Presbyterial 
Unions  into  the  new  and  enlarged  field  of  labor.  She  brought 
a  fine  business  acumen,  gracious  tact  and  able  leadership  tc 
her  work,  and  most  successfully  guided  the  Synodical  through 
the  stages  of  criticism  and  opposition,  firmly  establishing  its 
broader  and  ever  expanding  work.  Into  this  service,  she  threw 
her  whole  soul,  with  her  accustomed  energy  and  determination 
and  did  a  splendid  consrtuctive  work  during  her  three  years 
as  President.  Still  a  larger  task  was  awaiting  her,  for  as 
President  of  Missouri  Synodical  it  was  her  privilege  to  unite 
with  Miss  Hanna  and  Mrs.  Winsborough  in  pushing  to  final 
success  the  organization  of  the  Woman’s  Auxiliary,  of  which 
body  she  has  been  the  most  faithful  and  competent  treasurer 
since  1913. 

Missouri  Synodical  has  always  held  inspirational  meet¬ 
ings  in  connection  with  its  business  meetings  and  conferences 
and  by  well  arranged  home  mission  and  other  comparative 
contests,  has  done  much  to  inspire  righteous  rivalry,  which  has 
developed  the  work  of  the  Presbyterials  along  many  lines.  It 
has  always  been  an  ardent  supporter  of  plans  mapped  out  by 
the  Woman’s  Auxiliary,  and  has  striven  nobly  to  put  them  into 
effect  throughout  the  Presbyterials. 

y-- 

Organization  of  the  Woman's  Auxiliary . 

The  story  of  the  building  of  the  Woman’s  Auxiliary,  that 
revolutionary  movement  which  was  to  completely  transform  and 
broaden  the  vision  and  service  of  Southern  Presbyterian  women, 
and  to  quicken  and  enlarge  the  missionary  aims  and  activities 
of  the  Church,  is  to  a  great  extent,  an  integral  part  of  Mis¬ 
souri’s  history.  (To  the  Missouri  Synodical  and  its  splendid 
leadership,  is  tendered  the  honor  and  gratitude  of  all  the  Auxili¬ 
aries — Synodical,  Presbyterial,  and  Local,  throughout  our  As¬ 
sembly.  Editors.) 

In  the  calling  out  into  service  of  Miss  Jennie  Hanna  and 


MISSOURI 


239 


Mrs.  W.  C.  Winsborough  and  Mrs..D.  A.  McMillan,  is  demon¬ 
strated  how  a  holy,  discerning  mind  may,  by  a  word  fitly  spoken 
set  in  motion  marvelous  powers  that  will  gain  momentum  and 
strength  as  the  days  go  by,  to  accomplish  wonderful  results 
in  the  King’s  business. 

Mrs.  H.  B.  Boude,  whose  heart  yearned  over  the  salvation 
of  a  lost  world,  when  she  proposed  to  a  young  Sunday-school 
teacher  in  her  husband’s  church,  to  organize  her  Sunday- 
school  class  of  girls  into  a  Mission  Band,  touched  all  uncon* 
sciously,  a  chord  in  Miss  Jennie  Hanna’s  heart,  which  be¬ 
came  vibrant  with  life  and  a  desire  for  something  worth 
while  to  engage  the  love  and  energies  of  the  women  of  her  be¬ 
loved  Church,  and  which  was  never  silenced,  until  she  had  the 
blessed  privilege  of  seeing  fulfilled  the  desire  of  a  life  time — 
the  organization  of  the  Woman’s  Auxiliary. 

When  Mrs.  S.  M.  Neel  discerned  in  Mrs.  Winsborough 
marvelous  possibilities,  and  insisted  that  she  accept  some 
specific  work  in  the  Missionary  Society  of  the  Central  Church 
she  was  used  of  God  to  open  up  the  way  for  preparing  this 
young  woman  for  the  great  work  God,  in  his  plans,  had  await¬ 
ing  her  capable  and  all  comprehensive  leadership. 

When  Mrs.  McMillan,  became  the  President  of  the  Synodi¬ 
cal  of  Missouri  and  began  the  visitation  of  the  Presbyterial 
Unions,  she  was  entertained  in  the  home  of  a  cultured  Chris¬ 
tian  woman,  where  she  received  a  fuller  conception  of  devotion 
and  service  for  her  Master  and  went  forth  clothed  anew  with 
the  Spirit’s  power  to  render  a  noble  service. 


NORTH  CAROLINA 


241 


NORTH  CAROLINA 


242 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


Mrs.  Elizabeth  McRae,  North  Carolina.  A  true 
pioneer  in  Woman’s  organized  work. 


NORTH  CAROLINA 


243 


NORTH  CAROLINA 

I.  THE  PIONEERS. 

The  creating  of  the  office  of  Historian  in  our  Woman’s 
Auxiliary  has  promoted  research  and  has  brought  about  a 
friendly  rivalry  in  claims  of  ancient  church-lineage. 

The  Presbyterial  Historians  of  North  Carolina  have  liked 
liberty  in  research  as  far  back  as  1770 — the  year  in  which  the 
first  Presbytery  of  the  Syond  of  North  Carolina  was  erected. 
Before  that  year,  the  entire  territory  of  the  State  was  embraced 
in  the  Presbytery  of  Hanover,  formed  in  1755  by  the  Synod  of 
New  York. 

The  first  meeting  of  the  Synod  of  North  Carolina  was  held 
in  1813..  “It  was  composed  of  the  three  Presbyteries  of 
Orange,  Concord  and  Fayetteville,  and  its  territory  embraced 
all  of  North  Carolina,  and  small  portions  of  South  Carolina, 
and  Virginia.  The  Presbytery  of  Concord  was  largest  in 
membership,  Orange  the  largest  in  area,  stretching  from  the 
Yadkin  River  to  the  Atlantic  Ocean.  The  three  Presbyteries 
in  whole  consisted  at  this  time  of  thirty-one  ministers,  eighty- 
five  churches  and  about  four  thousand  communicants.  For  a 
long  time  after  the  organization  of  the  Synod,  the  Presbyterian 
Church  in  North  Carolina  seems  to  have  been  in  large  measure 
at  ease  in  Zion,  and  yet  some  noble  advances  were  made.” — 
(Dr.  D.  I.  Craig.) 

WILMINGTON. 

From  the  records  of  the  Historian  of  Wilmington  Pres¬ 
byterial,  we  learn  that  the  earliest  Presbyterian  colony  in  the 
State  was  composed  of  Scotch-Irish  emigrants  from  Ulster,  who, 
in  1736,  settled  upon  a  grant  of  land  in  Duplin  County,  forming 
the  congregation  of  Goshen  Grove,  near  the  site  of  the  town 
of  Kenansville. 


244 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


A  colony  of  Welsh  emigrants  settled  about  the  same  time 
in  New  Hanover  County,  and  to  these  colonists  the  Rev.  Hugh 
McAden  began  to  preach  in  1755.  His  journal,  still  preserved, 
tells  of  his  missionary  tour  in  1756;  of  his  preaching  in 
Wilmington,  and  to  the  people  of  the  Welch  Tract;  of  his 
being  installed  pastor  of  the  Duplin  and  New  Hanover  con¬ 
gregations  in  1759;  and  of  presenting  his  credentials  at  a  meet¬ 
ing  of  New  Hanover  Presbytery  at  Rockfish,  which  would  indi¬ 
cate  an  organization  at  this  point — organized  according  to 
tradition  in  1756. 

Had  records  been  preserved,  it  would  be  interesting  to  tell 
in  a  history  of  woman’s  work  in  this  Prsebytery,  the  number  of 
women  who  were  charter  members  of  these  first  churches, 
ministered  to  by  Mr.  McAden.  We  know  from  given  records 
that  there  was  a  “Woman’s  Auxiliary”  even  though  it  may 
have  counted  but  one  woman  on  its  roll;  for  we  read  that  Mr. 
McAden  married  Miss  Scott,  of  Lunenburg  County,  Virginia, 
and  that  she  came  with  him,  making  the  long  journey  on  horse¬ 
back,  through  many  miles  of  wild  forest  infested  with  hostile 
Indians;  and  for  love’s  sweet  sake  took  up  her  abode  in  a 
land  that  she  knew  not  of. 

And  though  no  record  of  her  life  and  her  deeds  has  come 
down  to  us,  save  the  significant  one  that  she  bore  and  reared  a 
family  of  seven  children,  she  must  have  been  of  heroic  soul 
and  missionary  heart.  So  we  may  justly  claim  Mrs.  Hugh 
McAden  as  The  Pioneer  representative  of  Woman’s  Work  in 
this  Presbytery. 

Rockfish  Female  Missionary  Society.  1817. 

The  earliest  attempt  to  organize  Woman’s  Work  in  this 
Presbytery  was  in  the  old  Rockfish  congregation.  Happily 
the  minutes  of  this  organization  have  been  preserved,  and 
show  that  the  “Rockfish  Female  Missionary  Society  was  in 
existence  as  early  as  1817,  with  the  names  of  thirty  members 
on  its  roll. 


NORTH  CAROLINA 


245 


They  were  accustomed  to  meet  in  the  spring  and  in  the 
fall.  ^  . 

The  contributions  for  the  first  year  were: 

“To  the  North  Carolina  Missionary  Society _ $17.50 

“To  the  purchase  of  religious  tracts  for  society--  6.50” 

So  we  see  that  this  early  Society  carried  the  idea  of  Mis¬ 
sionary  Education  along  with  giving. 

The  following  quotations  are  from  the  old  Record  Book 
of  the  Rockfish  Female  Missionary  .Society,  1818: 

Officers  of  the  Rockfish  Female  Missionary  Society,  1818: 

Mary  Boney _ President. 

Mary  Teachey _ Vice-President. 

Dorothea  Boney _ Treasurer. 

‘Eliza  Tate _ Secretary. 

“The  Treasurer  of  the  Rockfish  Female  Society  reported 
that  the  members  had  paid  into  the  treasury,  seventeen  dollars 
and  fifty  cents,  to  be  sent  to  the  Presbytery  of  Fayetteville,  or 
to  the  Treasurer  of  the  North  Carolina  Missionary  Society 
by  me. 

(Signed)  Robt.  Tate. 

This  the  23rd  dav  of  March,  1818.” 

“Fayetteville,  October  2,  1818. 

“Received  of  the  Rev.  Robt.  Tate  the  sum  of  $19.00,  a 
donation  from  the  Rockfish  Female  Missionary  Society. 

W.  McPheeters, 

Treasurer  of  North  Carolina  Missionary  Society .” 

The  inference  is  that  since  a  collection  of  $17.50  and  of 
$6.50  was  reported  March  23rd,  1818,  and  of  $19.00  October 
2,  1818,  the  society  must  have  been  organized  about  the 
middle  of  the  year  1817. 

Mrs.  McDonald,  FBstorian  of  Fayetteville  Presbyterial, 
says:  “The  minutes  of  Fayetteville  Presbytery  from  1816  to 
1820,  record  each  year  the  contribution  of  certain  sums  from 


246 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


the  women  of  the  Presbyterian  Church.  These  same  records 
name  the  Rockfish  Female  Missionary  Society,  whch  was  a 
part  of  Fayetteville  Presbytery  at  that  time. 

It  is  a  matter  of  interest  that  the  Rev.  Robert  Tate  wrote 
the  hymn,  “While  Shepherds  Watched  Their  Flocks  by  Night,” 
while  pastor  at  Rockfish. 

From  the  present  information  the  Rockfish  Female  Mis¬ 
sionary  Society  is  the  oldest  Woman’s  Missionary  Society  in 
the  Southern  Assembly.  There  were  Educational  and  Bible 
Societies  of  about  the  same  date  in  several  other  States,  but  in 
most  instances  they  were  inter-denominational  in  membership. 
The  Rockfish  organization  seems  to  have  been  Presbyterian 
from  its  very  beginning  and  to  have  always  recognized  the 

great  missionary  object  of  the  Church. 

* 

CONCORD. 

The  Female  Tract  Society  of  Poplar  Tent  Church,  1817. 

The  first  record  of  an  organization  of  women  for  Chris¬ 
tian  work  in  Concord  Presbytery  is  found  in  the  minutes  of 
“The  Ladies’  Benevolent  Society,”  of  Poplar  Tent  Church,  one 
of  the  oldest  churches  in  our  Synod,  founded  about  1765. 

In  1817,  Mrs.  John  Robinson,  wife  of  the  pastor  of  Poplar 
Tent  Church,  called  the  women  of  her  husband’s  congrega- 
tion  together  and  organized  “The  Female  Tract  Society”  for 
the  distribution  of  tracts  and  other  Christian  literature.  Two 
years  later,  1819,  hoping  to  enlarge  its  sphere  of  usefulness 
and  influence,  Mrs.  Robinson  re-organized  it,  calling  it  “The 
Female  Benevolent  Society,”  which  name  it  still  retains.  They 
met  annually,  on  the  Saturday  before  the  Communion  in  May; 
and  they  contributed  both  to  Home  and  Foreign  Missions. 

There  were  no  records  until  May,  1859,  when  reference 
is  made  to  both  the  organization  and  re-organization,  forty 
vears  before;  and  relates  that  when  tracts  were  received  each 
member  had  the  privilege  of  disposing  of  an  equal  share  of 
one-half  the  whole  quantity,  while  the  remainder  was  disposed 


NORTH  CAROLINA 


247 


of  by  a  vote  of  the  Society.  The  Constitution  of  this  Society 
is  given,  and  falls  little  short  of  our  modern  documents  of  the 
sort.  Between  the  years  1817-1859,  these  women  had  con¬ 
tributed  $950.00  to  the  Church’s  work. 

FAYETTEVILLE. 

Fayetteville  Church,  1816-1820. 

The  minutes  of  Fayetteville  Presbytery  for  the  years  1816- 
1820  record  ten  dollars  each  year  received  for  Foreign  Mis¬ 
sions  from  “some  females  of  the  Church  of  Fayetteville.” 

These  “females”  must  have  had  an  organization  of  their 
own,  or  the  money  contributed  by  them  would  naturally  have 
gone  through  the  regular  channels  of  the  church,  instead  of 
being  ‘reported  independently.  Also,  they  would  hardly  have 
reported  their  money  in  one  lump  sum  each  year  unless  banded 
together  in  some  organization. 

That  these  women  were  aggressive  workers  is  shown  by 
the  fact  that  in  1824,  there  was  a  very  live  Young  Ladies’ 
Society,  and  in  1837,  an  equally  live  Juvenile  Society  in  this 
Church.  Young  ladies  and  juveniles  of  that  day  hardly  organ¬ 
ized  themselves  for  mission  work ! 

The  Sessional  Record  Book  of  the  Presbyterian  Church 
of  Fayetteville  has  this  record  for  March  29th,  1828: 

“A  society  of  young  ladies  has  purchased  and  presented 
to  our  Church  for  sacramental  uses,  the  following  vessels  of 
silver  plate,”  etc.  This  silver  is  still  in  use  in  the  Fayette¬ 
ville  Church.  Three  pieces  bear  this  inscription: 

“Presented  by  a  society  of  young  ladies  to  the  Presbytc 
rian  Church  of  Fayetteville,  September  20th,  1824.” 

The  members  of  the  Young  Ladies’  Missionary  Societ) 
who  purchased  the  Communion  silver  were  Misses  Eliza  Nott, 
Eliza  Potter,  Mary  Ann  Potter,  Eliza  Hawley,  Annie  McIntyre 
and  Mary  Salmon.  That  this  young  ladies’  society  was  a 
missionary  society  is  shown  by  the  fact  that  there  is  a  refer- 


248 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


ence  in  the  Sessional  Record  Book  of  1831  to  “The  Young 
Ladies’  Missionary  Society.” 

The  inscription  on  the  monument  of  their  pastor,  Rev. 
James  Douglas,  in  the  old  Cross  Creek  cemetery — “Erected 
by  the  Female  Juvenile  Society  of  Fayetteville  Presbyterian 
Church  in  1837”  seems  to  prove  that  this  church  had  also  the 
first  children’s  Missionary  Society. 

ORANGE. 

The  Female  Benevolent  Society  of  Alamance  Church — 1823. 

The  Alamance  Church  dates  back  one  hundred  and  sixty 
years,  when  a  gift  of  land  was  made  to  the  congregation  by 
William  Cusach,  one  of  the  first  elders,  on  which  to  build  the 
church.  It  was  then  part  of  the  primeval  forest.  On  an  ap¬ 
pointed  day,  a  company  of  men  gathered  with  axes  to  clear 
a  space  and  to  begin  the  building  of  their  church.  With  bared 
heads  they  knelt  under  a  great  tree  and  prayed  the  Divine 
blessing  upon  their  enterprise — then  dealt  the  strokes  that  fur¬ 
nished  them  a  church  in  the  wilderness. 

Under  the  influence  of  the  two  great  divines,  Dr.  David 
Caldwell  and  Dr.  Eli  Caruthers,  whose  ministry  to  this  church 
covered  a  period  of  a  hundred  years,  “The  Female  Benevolent 
Society”  was  organized.  Mrs.  William  Woodburn,  President, 
and  Mrs.  Joseph  Rankin,  Treasurer,  were  both  grandmothers 
of  Dr.  D.  C.  Rankin — that  great  moving  spirit  in  Foreign 
Missions  in  former  days.  Mrs.  Annie  Wiley,  Secretary,  was 
mother  of  the  beloved  Dr.  Calvin  H.  Wiley,  well-remembered 
in  both  Church  and  State. 

“For  several  years  the  women  met  monthly,  in  connection 
with  a  Ladies’  Concert  of  Prayer,  and  later,  annually.  They 
came  great  distances  over  rough  roads,  some  on  horseback, 
bringing  their  children,  and  held  their  meeting  in  a  cold  church. 
They  read  the  Missionary  Herald,  held  a  concert  of  prayer, 
and  discussed  such  forms  of  church  work  as  were  in  order. 

“This  Society  lived  more  than  twenty  years,  made  over 


NORTH  CAROLINA 


249 


five  hundred  dollars  by  their  own  labor  (equivalent  to  many 
times  that  sum  now) ;  aided  the  Eliot  Mission  among  the 
Indians;  educated  an  Indian  boy,  whom  they  named  David 
Caldwell;  paid  for  a  life-membership  in  the  American  Tract 
Society  for  Dr.  Caruthers;  helped  to  educate  candidates  for 
the  ministry;  bought  books  for  a  Sabbath  School  library.” — - 
( Taken  from  “ History  of  Alamance  Church Dr.  E.  C.  Mur¬ 
ray.) 

A  companion  record  is  that  of  the  First  Church  of  Greens¬ 
boro,  which  was  organized  in  1824,  with  twelve  members — 
nine  of  whom  were  women,  six  of  them  white,  three  negroes. 

Its  first  woman’s  organization  was  called  “The  Woman’s 
Benevolent  Society,”  and  was  formed  in  1830,  with  twenty- 
two  members.  The  constitution  provided  for  a  Directress,  a 
Secretary,  a  Treasurer,  and  a  membership  of  those  subscribing 
to  the  constitution,  and  paying  not  less  than  fifty  cents  an¬ 
nually.  The  first  officers  chosen  were:  Mrs.  Frances  Paisley, 
Directress,  Mrs.  Letitia  Humphreys,  Second  Directress;  Mrs. 
Eliza  Morehead,  Treasurer;  Mrs.  Parthenia  Dick,  Secretary. 

The  fact  that  these  two  oldest  societies  in  the  Presby¬ 
tery,  Alamance  and  Greensboro,  are  in  the  same  county,  only 
six  miles  apart,  speaks  volumes  for  the  spirituality  and  Pres¬ 
byterianism  of  the  womanhood  of  that  section.  The  building 
of  the  church  in  Greensboro  was  largely  due  to  the  zeal  of  the 
women.  Another  noteworthy  fact  is  that  many  members  of 
this  Society  of  long  ago  are  today  represented  in  the  active 
work  of  the  'Greensboro  church  by  their  descendants — after 
almost  a  hundred  years. 

ALBEMARLE. 

New  Bern  Church,  1822. 

Through  the  hundred  years  preceding  the  erection  of 
Albemarle  Presbytery,  churches  were  founded  here  and  there  in 
the  territory  it  now  covers,  whose  records,  no  doubt,  were  in¬ 
separably  bound  up  with  the  hearts  and  lives  of  godly  women. 


250 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


During  the  year  1755,  New  Bern  was  visited  by  the  Rev. 
Hugh  McAden,  whose  influence  w’as  potent  throughout  all 
sections  so  favored,  as  historical  records  show.  New  Bern, 
Edenton,  and  Wilmington  wTere  at  this  time,  regular  stopping 
places  for  ministers  sent  out  by  the  Synod  of  New  York  and 
Philadelphia.  It  w7as  not  until  1817  that  the  first  record  ap¬ 
pears  of  the  formal  organization  of  the  church. 

This  took  place  in  the  home  of  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Minor, 
“the  Lydia  of  the  New  Bern  Church,”  as  she  has  been  called — 
who,  with  Mrs.  Robert  Hunt,  had  long  before  dedicated  their 
“grace  of  hospitality”  to  the  Lord. 

Of  the  first  ten  members,  eight  were  women:  Mrs.  Eunice 
Hunt,  daughter  of  President  Jonathan  Edwards,  of  Princeton 
College;  Mrs.  Lydia  Stewart,  Mrs.  Lucretia  Hollister  Bell,  Mrs. 
Jane  Garney,  Mrs.  Frances  Devereaux,  Mrs.  Mary  Dew^ey, 
Mrs.  Louise  Morning  and  Mrs.  John  Stanley  (colored). 

It  seems  that  the  church  of  New  Bern  is  indebted  to  its 
colored  member,  Catherine  Stanley,  for  the  correct  date  of  the 
dedication  of  the  church,  from  her  diary,  wdiich  has  been  pre¬ 
served:  “Jan.  6,  1822.  Sabbath  evening.  Today  the  Presby¬ 
terian  church  was  dedicated  to  the  worship  of  God.  A  very 
interesting  discourse,  delivered  by  the  Reverend  Mr.  Hatch. 
Again  I  have  been  blessed  with  the  privilege  of  hearing  the 
Word  of  God  faithfully  preached.” 

The  Centennial  celebration  of  the  founding  of  the  New 
Bern  Church  was  observed  January  6,  1922;  and  in  a  sketch  of 
this  historic  church  presented  at  the  time,  mention  is  made  of 
the  women’s  untiring  assistance  in  every  w7ay,  especially  in 
the  raising  of  funds  wThen  the  church  was  in  building.  “In 
fact,  one  lady  w7as  so  active  that  Dr.  Hawses  often  spoke  of  it 
as  ‘Mrs.  Minor’s  Church.’  ” 

2.  FROM  THE  THIRTIES  TO  THE  SIXTIES. 

One  of  the  earliest  organizations  of  the  period  following 


NORTH  CAROLINA 


251 


the  pioneering  of  1817 — 1830  was  in  the  church  of  Concord, 
in  Concord  Presbytery. 

In  1845,  the  “Benevolent  Society”  was  formed  for  the 
help  of  the  church — Mrs.  R.  M.  Allison,  President.  Its  purpose 
was  purely  local,  and  it  is  still  doing  its  good  work.  Its  deeds 
of  mercy  would  fill  a  book.  In  old  age,  it  is  still  bearing  fruit. 

To  the  Sugar  Creek  Church  belongs  the  honor  of  having 
the  oldest  Missionary  Society  in  Mecklenburg  Presbytery.  This 
Society  was  organized  in  1847,  by  Miss  J.  G.  Chamberlain, 
a  talented  and  consecrated  young  woman  who  taught  school  in 
the  congregation.  The  Constitution  in  her  beautiful,  legible 
handwriting  is  treasured  by  the  Society.  She  later  married 
the  pastor  of  the  church,  Rev.  R.  H.  Lafferty. 

It  is  recorded  of  the  Asheboro  Church  (Orange  Presby¬ 
tery),  organized  in  1850,  that  in  the  following  year,  a  “Do¬ 
mestic  Missionary  Society”  was  in  existence,  whose  members 
were:  Mrs.  Jonathan  Worth,  Mrs.  Simeon  Colton,  Miss  Louisa 
Worth  and  Mrs.  George  McNeill. 

No  record  is  available,  giving  the  date  when  the  Society 
of  the  First  Church  of  Charlotte  (Mecklenburg  Presbytery), 
was  formed.  But  we  feel  warranted  in  saying  that  it  began 
its  mission  of  helpfulness  in  the  early  fifties.  To  verify  this 
statement,  an  inscription  is  to  be  found  on  the  fly-leaf  of  the 
pulpit  Bible  containing  these  words: 

“Presented  to  the  Presbyterian  Church  of  Charlotte,  by 
the  Female  Sewing  Society,  June,  1853.” 

This  organization  was  afterward  known  as  the  Aid  and 
Orphanage  Society. 

The  Salisbury  Church  Society  (Concord  Presbytery),  was 
formed  in  1859,  with  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Beall  Davis  as  President. 
They  did  local  work,  in  the  jail  and  among  immoral  women; 
distributed  tracts  and  Bibles,  and  visited  and  helped  the  poor 
in  the  community. 

Organization  existing  prior  to  the  formation  of  our  South¬ 
ern  Church  is  found  in  Sardis  Church,  1848,  and  Pittsboro, 


252 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


1860  (Fayetteville  Presbytery).  Doubtless  there  are  many 
others  in  all  our  Presbyteries,  if  information  could  be  gained 
by  any  means.  But  we  may  safely  assert  that  Christian  ser¬ 
vice  of  the  heart  and  hand  of  our  Presbyterian  womanhood, 
unorganized,  was  going  on  all  through  the  years,  in  all  con¬ 
gregations. 

The  church  in  New  Bern  is  a  case  in  point — no  organized 
woman’s  work  being  recorded  there  before  the  eighties.  Ox¬ 
ford,  another  old  church  of  Orange,  nearly  a  hundred  and 
twenty-five  years  old,  had  none  until  the  seventies.  Steel  Creek, 
in  Mecklenburg,  with  a  history  of  more  than  a  hundred  and 
sixty  years,  had  no  woman’s  society  prior  to  1880,  at  earliest, 
nor  any  account  of  special  work  done  by  women.  “All  worked 
together,  men  and  women,  under  one  organization — THE 
CHURCH!”  says  the  record. 

3.  FROM  THE  SIXTIES  TO  THE  NINETIES. 

The  fact  that  the  history  of  societies  organized  in  this 
period  is  similar  in  general  outline,  makes  details  unnecessary 
even  if  space  allowed. 

In  all  instances,  probably,  women  of  earnest,  pious,  prac¬ 
tical  executive  types  felt  the  God-given  impulse  to  come  to¬ 
gether  in  combined  effort  to  help  the  needs  at  ’hand  and  afar 
off.  Some  form  of  organization  followed,  with  a  more  or  less 
devotional  atmosphere  to  the  meetings  which  were  partly  in¬ 
formational,  and  partly  industrial,  but  which  fostered  much 
sacrificial  giving  of  self  and  time  and  money. 

For  many  years,  the  Benevolent  Societies  measured  the 
scope  of  woman’s  work.  During  the  seventies  and  eighties,  in 
the  general  struggle  for  rehabilitation  of  everything  in  our 
South,  when  old  congregations  were  depleted  in  numbers  and 
finances,  and  the  organization  of  a  new  church  meant  years 
of  struggle,  Aid  Societies  to  promote  the  material  welfare  ot 
the  congregations  wellnigh  bounded  the  horizon  of  our  women. 
The  systematic  administration  of  the  Benevolent  Funds  of  the 


NORTH  CAROLINA 


253. 


Church  had  not  been  developed;  the  needs  were  met  by  monthly 
contributions  from  the  churches,  with  statistical  notice  in  the 
church  papers. 

Up  to  the  nineties,  Woman’s  Work  for  Foreign  Missions 
was  regarded  as  a  separate  phase  of  Christian  effort,  requiring 
a  separate  society,  and  ofttimes  a  different  personnel  in  the 
same  congregation.  A  certain  rivalry  of  claims  existed  between 
the  “Ladies  Aid”  and  the  “Foreign  Missionary”  societies.  And 
as  the  claims  of  the  Home-land  began  to  press  upon  the  con¬ 
science  of  the  Church,  Woman’s  Work  assumed  more  complex 
conditions,  as  she  sought  to  cope  with  her  duty  and  her  oppor¬ 
tunity. 

From  the  first  Society  on,  however,  faith,  prayer,  sacrifice, 
energy,  enterprise,  characterized  the  majority  of  Christian 
women  engaged  in  the  work.  These  not  only  served  their  day 
and  generation,  but  by  precept  and  example  raised  up  the  later 
generation  who  have  brought  the  Woman’s  Auxiliary  into  exist¬ 
ence. 

The  above  characterization  must  suffice  for  a  number  of 
organizations  reported  for  this  sketch. 

A  few  notes  on  outstanding  societies,  work,  workers,  and 
results  must  be  allowed  on  these  pages,  however,  as  matters  of 
history — not  with  partiality,  nor  by  way  of  comparison. 

Of  the  Durham  Church  (Orange),  of  early  days,  the  only 
record  extant  says:  “The  women  of  the  congregation  have 
done  efficient  work  from  the  beginning  (1871),  in  many  ways, 
largely  through  an  Aid  Association  formed  during  the  second 
year  of  the  church,  and  has  continued  thirty-five  years.”  The 
splendidly  organized  Auxiliary  of  today — studying,  praying, 
giving,  living,  training,  serving,  is  the  logical  outcome  of  the 
perseverance  of  those  heroines  of  the  faith  of  fifty  years  ago. 

Mention  has  already  been  made  of  the  historic  Woman’s 
Society  of  Alamance  Church  (Orange),  in  its  pioneer  days. 

The  original  organization  was  suspended  for  a  time,  dur¬ 
ing  the  period  of  the  Civil  War,  but  was  re-organized  in  1873 


254 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


by  Mrs.  Tidball,  wife  of  the  pastor  of  the  church.  Their 
daughter,  Miss  Lily  Tidball,  went  to  the  foreign  field  in  1880, 
and  two  sons  entered  the  ministry.  It  is  of  striking  interest 
that  more  than  thirty  ministers  of  the  gospel  have  gone  out 
from  this  church,  and  many  statesmen  of  high  honor,  a  living 
testimony  to  the  godly  women  who  reared  them. 

The  records  of  several  churches  note  an  awakening  to  the 
claims  of  Foreign  Missions,  due  to  a  visit  from  Dr.  M.  H. 
Houston,  home  from  China,  about  1875.  At  the  earnest  desire 
of  Dr.  Jacob  Henry  Smith,  pastor  of  the  First  Church  of 
Greensboro  (Orange),  the  Woman’s  Society  was  re-organized 
to  include  and  emphasize  Foreign  Missions,  following  Dr. 
Houston’s  visit,  and  was  named  for  his  daughter,  “Evelyn 
Houston.”  This  name  gave  place  a  few  years  later  to  the 
“Woman’s  Missionary  and  Aid  Society,”  which  in  turn  sep¬ 
arated  Foreign  and  Home  interests  into  two  groups  in  1897. 
Through  the  years,  each  society  greatly  enlarged  its  member¬ 
ship'  and  scope,  and  became  the  mother  of  many  organizations, 
senior  and  junior.  This  church  could  say  with  just  pride  that 
she  had  a  missionary  society  for  all  ages;  and  the  trained  work¬ 
ers  of  today  in  all  departments,  are  largely  the  product  of  this 
wisdom  of  the  earlier  generation. 

In  1875,  the  first  Society  of  Foreign  Missions  was  organ¬ 
ized  by  the  women  of  the  First  and  Second  churches  of  Char¬ 
lotte  (Mecklenburg),  jointly,  who  worked  together  with  great 
cordiality  for  twelve  years,  separating  only  to  secure  greater 
efficiency. 

When  organized,  this  society  enrolled  thirty  members,  with 
Mrs.  Rufus  Johnson  as  President.  After  the  separation,  three 
Foreign  Missionary  Societies  were  organized  in  the  First 
Church  for  the  older  and  the  younger  women,  and  for  the 
young  girls, — all  now  united  in  the  Woman’s  Auxiliary,  doing 
a  great  work. 

The  women  of  the  Second  Church,  Charlotte,  organized 
after  separation  from  the  original  Society,  in  1887,  with  one 


NORTH  CAROLINA 


255 


hundred  and  twenty-eight  members;  Mrs.  Adelaid  Brew,  Presi¬ 
dent.  Several  years  later  the  Pastor’s  Aid  and  Home  Mission¬ 
ary  Society,  the  Young  Woman’s  Society,  the  Business  Woman’s 
Society  and  an  organization  for  girls,  were  formed.  These 
are  all  united  today  in  the  Woman’s  Auxiliary. 

The  Foreign  Missionary  Society  of  Statesville  church  (Con¬ 
cord),  was  organized  in  1875,  by  Dr.  M.  H.  Houston.  There 
were  no  officers;  meetings  were  informal;  members  pledged 
fifty  cents  a  month  to  Foreign  Missions.  Some  years  later,  a 
Home  Missionary  Society  was  organized  by  Mrs.  Elizabeth 
MacRae.  •  ‘J;  | '  .1;  j 

An  outstanding  figure  in  the  early  days  of  the  Statesville 
Foreign  Missionary  Society  was  Miss  Margaret  Mitchell — “the 

life  of  this  Society  until  her  death  in  1905.  A  woman  of  master 

* 

intellect,  withal  as  simple  and  gentle  as  a  child.  A  love  for 
spreading  the  gospel  dominated  her  life.  At  her  death,  she 
gave  most  of  her  worldly  goods  to  the  cause,  while  her  influ¬ 
ence  as  a  teacher  and  friend  will  redound  through  the  ages.” 

The  First  Church  of  Raleigh  (Albemarle),  was  organized 
away  back  in  1806;  but  her  records  show  no  woman’s  organ¬ 
ized  work  before  1875,  when  a  Foreign  Missionary  Society  of 
twenty-five  members  was  formed.  An  organization  for  young 
women,  called  the  Peace  Institute  Society,  and  one  for  chil¬ 
dren,  called  “The  Busy  Bee  Band,”  were  formed  in  1877.  Old 
records  refer  to  a  certain  work  done  by  an  Aid  Society,  but 
no  account  of  its  organization  is  found. 

In  1904,  when  the  various  organizations  in  the  church  had 
multiplied,  all  were  merged  into  one  general  body  known  as 
“The  Ladies’  Society  for  Christian  Work,  of  the  First  Pres¬ 
byterian  Church  of  Raleigh  and  divided  into  three  depart 
merits — Foreign,  Home  and  Local. 

We  would  naturally  expect  to  find  a  record  of  early  or¬ 
ganization  in  Rocky  River  Church  (Concord),  which  was 
founded  in  1755 — the  earliest  church  west  of  the  Catawba. 
But  its  first  society,  “Rocky  River  Ladies’  Christian  Associa- 


256 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


i 

tion,”  was  formed  in  1878.  Its  worthy  aims  are  thus  set 
forth : 

“The  objects  of  this  Society  shall  be:  to  elicit  and  promote 
the  interest  of  the  ladies  of  the  congregation  in  church  work: 
to  afford  an  appropriate  channel  through  which  the  individual 
efforts  of  females  may  be  properly  exercised;  and  to  do  what 
we  can  to  promote  the  spread  of  the  Gospel  into  all  the  world. 

“Any  female  within  the  bounds  of  Rocky  River  congrega¬ 
tion  may  become  a  member  of  this  society  by  paying  an  initia¬ 
tion  fee  of  twenty-five  cents.  Gentlemen  of  said  congregation 
may  become  honorary  members  by  a  unanimous  vote  of  the 
regular  members,  and  by  paying  an  initiation  fee  of  one  dollar.” 

The  earliest  record  of  a  woman’s  organization  in  Kings 
Mountain  Presbytery  was  the  Ladies’  Aid  and  Missionary 
Society  of  Long  Creek  church,  formed  in  1877,  with  fifty- 
eight  charter  members.  About  the  same  year,  Mrs.  J.  J.  Ken¬ 
nedy  gathered  the  women  of  Olney  together  and  organized 
them,  and  after  a  few  years  Olney  organized  Gastonia.  To¬ 
day  this  daughter  of  Olney  has  grown  until  she  numbers  two 
hundred  members — the  largest  Auxiliary  in  the  Presbyterial. 

Steel  Creek  (Mecklenburg),  first  organized  a  Ladies’  Aid 
Society  in  1880,  followed  by  a  Foreign  Missionary  Society  some 
years  later.  Through  these,  the  usual  Woman’s  Work  was 
done,  developing  into  the  Woman’s  Auxiliary  of  today.  And 
Steel  Creek  being  the  largest  church  in  our  Synod,  we  find 
here  one  of  the  largest  and  most  enthusiastic  Auxiliaries.  The 
Young  People’s  Work  is  especially  noteworthy.  The  “Ingather¬ 
ing,”  a  day  when  the  young  people  bring  in  their  cotton  raised 
for  the  service  of  the  Lord,  is  a  red-letter  day  observed  by  old 
and  young. 

The  Dorcas  Society  of  Lincolnton  (Kings  Mountain), 
formed  in  1881,  had  no  regular  constitution;  but  a  couple  of 
planks  in  its  platform,  as  found  in  certain  resolutions  in  the 
old  Record  Book,  are  well  worthy  of  being  builded  into  sundry 
platforms  of  1922: 


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257 


“Resolution  1.  That  members  shall  pay  an  extra  dime 
for  being  absent  from  meetings,  unless  excused  by  request. 

“Resolution  2.  That  members  shall  refrain  from  any 
criticism  of  persons  or  their  dress  while  at  the  meetings  of 
the  Society.” 

Concord  Church  in  Iredell  County  (Concord)  :  A  Ladies' 
Foreign  Missionary  Society  was  organized  here  by  Dr.  Du  Bose, 
of  China,  in  1883.  If  the  output  of  ministers  from  this  church 
may  be  taken  as  an  indication  of  the  godly  mothers,  sisters  and 
wives  of  this  congregation  then  we  do  well  in  this  record  of 
woman’s  influence  and  achievement,  to  restate  from  a  recent 
Presbyterian  Standard: 

“Concord  Church,  during  the  one  hundred  and  forty-seven 
years  of  her  life,  has  given  to  the  world  twenty-two  ministers 
and  one  medical  missionary,  or  approximately  one  for  every  six 
years  of  her  existence.” 

Shelby  Church  (Kings  Mountain),  was  founded  in  1858, 
with  nine  members — three  men  and  six  women.  For  seventeen 
years  they  held  together — Mrs.  E.  B.  Jennings,  a  charter  mem¬ 
ber,  acting  as  elder,  deacon  and  Sunday-school  superintendent, 
besides  keeping  open  house  for  ministers. 

The  first  pastor  found  only  five  members — all  women.  To 
these  new  members  were  added  in  1877,  and  officers  were 
elected,  greatly  helping  the  ones  who  had  labored  so  faithfully. 
Although  not  an  organized  society,  they  were  missionaries  to 
those  around  them,  holding  Sunday-school  in  the  mill  section, 
and  serving  wherever  needed.  The  first  record  of  an  organized 
society  was  in  1886. 

Pee  Dee  Church  (Mecklenburg),  has  a  record  of  woman’s 
work  organized  twenty-seven  years  ago,  by  that  indefatigable 
worker,  Mrs.  Elizabeth  McRae — the  Frank  Little  Foreign  Mis¬ 
sion  Society.  Rev.  Lacy  Little  went  from  this  church  to  the 
foreign  field.  His  mother,  Mrs.  Frank  Little,  was  the  beloved 
leader  of  this  Society  until  her  death. 

That  wonderful  woman  whom  all  our  Presbyterials  should 


258 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


delight  to  honor  and  to  emulate,  Mrs.  McRae — appears  from 
place  to  place  in  these  local  records  of  the  nineties.  She 
established  missionary  centers  from  the  mountains  to  the  sea. 

She  is  recorded  at  Asheboro  (Orange),  as  the  organizer 
of  a  Home  Missionary  Society  in  1897.  From  that  year  until 
1922,  that  church  was  without  a  pastor,  and  the  continuance 
of  that  society  through  these  many  years  was  due  to  the  zeal, 
courage,  and  perseverance  of  the  late  Mrs.  Addie  C.  McAllister. 
This  organization  has  developed  along  modern  lines  of  woman’s 
work. 

A  record  of  Winston-Salem  Society  is  purposely  placed 
last,  because  in  connection  with  it  appears  an  appreciation  of 
two  outstanding  women,  Mrs.  Calvin  H.  Wiley  and  Miss  S. 
O’H.  Dickson. 

“On  March  2nd,  1875,  a  few  ladies  of  our  church  met 
at  the  home  of  Rev.  ,S.  H.  Wiley,  and  were  organized  as  ‘The 
Female  Society  of  Winston  Presbyterian  Church’ — its  object, 
to  raise  money  for  the  benefit  of  the  Sabbath  School  and  for 
Foreign  Missions.  Mrs.  C.  H.  Wiley  was  elected  President 
and  served  seventeen  years.” 

Under  her  hands,  from  small  beginnings,  grew  the  Senior 
and  Junior  Wiley  Mission  Bands,  the  D.  C.  Rankin,  the 
Calvin  H.  Wiley  Missionary  Societies.  In  fact,  all  the  mis- 
sionary  activities  which  have  made  the  Winston-Salem  Church 
one  of  the  leading  missionary  churches  in  the  Assembly,  are 
due  to  the  passionate  devotion  of  Mrs.  Wiley  to  this  cause. 

Miss  Sallie  O’Hara  Dickson  was  closely  associated  with 
North  Carolina,  though  she  was  a  native  of  South  Carolina. 
She  was  an  honored  resident  of  Winston-Salem  for  many  years 
before  her  death. 

The  needs  and  the  exceeding  promise  of  the  mountain 
people,  among  whom  she  spent  the  summers  of  thirty  years, 
made  a  strong  appeal  to  her,  and  by  her  writings  she  did  much 
to  help  bring  the  day  of  opportunity  and  gospel  privilege  to 
the  Highland  people. 


NORTH  CAROLINA 


259 


Being  a  gentlewoman  of  the  old  South,  Miss  Dickson 
ever  felt  a  sincere  affection  and  sympathy  for  the  Negro  and 
sought  in  numberless  ways  to  uplift  the  race,  and  to  interest 
others  in  their  behalf. 

Readers  of  the  Missionary  Survey  and  of  our  church  lit¬ 
erature  miss  the  familiar  “S.  O.  H.”  or  simply  “O.  H.”  which 
this  gifted  woman  modestly  signed  to  her  poems,  articles,  let¬ 
ters  and  stories — all  written  with  the  one  purpose  of  advancing 
the  kingdom  of  her  Lord. 

“In  the  passing  from  earth  to  heaven  of  Miss  S.  O’H.  Dick¬ 
son  .  .  .  the  Executive  Committee  of  Home  Missions  has 

lost  a  valued  friend  and  co-laborer.  Her  sympathy  and  help 
were  never  failing.’’ — ( Miss  Barbara  Lambdin,  Missionary 
Survey.) 

The  Church  Calendar  of  Prayer,  so  familiar  and  so  in¬ 
valuable  now,  was  Miss  Dickson’s  idea,  the  first  being  merely 
a  card  containing  subjects  of  prayer  for  the  week,  written  and 
delicately  decorated  by  her  artistic  hand. 

She  died  July  18th,  1916. 

4.  ORGANIZATION  OF  PRESBYTERIAL  UNIONS. 

Wilmington.  1888. 

In  the  year  1888,  Dr.  Peyton  Hoge,  pastor  of  the  First 
Presbyterian  Church  of  Wilmington,  and  Mrs.  B.  F.  Hall,  a 
member  of  that  church,  recognizing  with  prophetic  vision  the 
spirit  and  latent  power  for  good  in  the  struggling  Missionary 
Societies  in  the  Presbytery,  conceived  the  idea  of  banding  them 
together  in  a  Union,  for  mutual  inspiration  and  helpfulness. 
Pursuant  to  this  vision,  a  Woman’s  Foreign  Missionary  Society 
was  re-organized  in  the  First  Church  of  Wilmington,  in  April, 
1888,  and  invitations  were  issued  to  all  Women’s  and  Chil¬ 
dren’s  societies  in  the  Presbytery  to  meet  with  them  to  organize 
a  Foreign  Missionary  Union.  Eleven  societies  from  nine 
churches  responded,  three  of  them  Children’s  Bands. 


260 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


This  organization  was  effected  May  30th,  1888,  and  Mrs. 
B.  F.  Hall  was  made  President.  Thus  came  into  being  and 
service,  the  Woman’s  Foreign  Missionary  Union  of  Wilming¬ 
ton — the  second  Union  to  be  established  in  our  Southern 
Church. 


Mrs.  B.  F.  Haig  North  Carolina. 


In  1890,  the  name  “Union”  was  changed  to  “Presbytery's 
Committee  of  Foreign  Missionary  Societies,”  to  forestall  ad¬ 
verse  action  on  Unions  by  opposers;  but  this  proved  to  be  need¬ 
less.  In  1893,  Dr.  McClure  brought  official  endorsement  of 
the  organization  from  the  General  Assembly. 

Among  the  warm  supporters  of  Woman’s  Work  through 
the  trying  period  of  uncertainty  and  criticism  during  the  follow- 


NORTH  CAROLINA 


261 


ing  twelve  years,  may  be  mentioned  Rev.  P.  H.  Hoge,  as  a 
moving  spirit;  Rev.  W.  M.  Miller,  of  Wilmington;  Rev.  Peter 
McIntyre,  Rev.  A.  D.  McClure. 

The  years  1895-1900  were  a  period  of  deep  discouragement 
to  the  faithful  President  and  her  co-workers;  and  one  of  less 
faith  and  courage  would  doubtless  have  given  up  the  fight. 
“The  Mother  of  our  Presbyterial,”  as  Mrs.  Hall  is  still  affec¬ 
tionately  called,  was  much  in  prayer  during  those  dark  days. 
A  certain  minister  on  his  way  to  attend  Presbytery,  spent  the 
night  in  Mrs.  Hall’s  house.  Talking  over  the  work  with  him, 
Mrs.  Hall  remarked  that  there  was  so  little  interest  on  the 
part  of  the  women,  and  so  much  opposition  from  the  men,  she 
was  considering  the  advisability  -of  disbanding  the  Union.  To 
this,  the  minister,  being  one  of  those  who  didn’t  favor  woman’s 
work,  heartily  agreed.  Whereupon  Mrs.  Hall  brought  a  de¬ 
termined  foot  down  with  a  resounding  thump,  and  laconicallv 
exclaimed,  “Well,  it  SHA’N’T !”  That  “Sha’n’t”  made  his¬ 
tory  ! 

The  Union  meeting  of  1900  was  a  rallying  time.  At  its 
close  Mrs.  Hall  laid  down  her  office  after  twelve  years  of  un¬ 
tiring  effort  to  place  the  Union  on  a  firm  and  permanent  basis. 
Mrs.  Jackson  Johnson,  of  Winnabow,  N.  C.,  was  her  worthy 
successor. 

As  early  as  1902,  the  office  of  Secretary  of  Young  People’s 
Work  was  created  with  Mrs.  J.  C.  Stewart,  of  Wilmington,  in 
charge.  This  department  of  the  work  has  developed  steadily 
until  it  has  become  the  outstanding  contribution  of  the  Union- 
Presbyterial. 

In  June,  1915,  a  Young  People’s  Rally  Day  was  inaugu¬ 
rated,  proving  to  be  so  successful  that  it  was  adopted  through¬ 
out  the  Synod  of  North  Carolina,  from  which  the  State  Con¬ 
ference  for  Young  People  took  its  origin  in  1918. 

In  the  year  1902  was  also  inaugurated  the  annual  Day  of 
Prayer  for  Missions,  Missionaries  and  Church  Work,  the  Pres- 


262 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


byterial  being  divided  into  districts  for  this  meeting,  thus  plac¬ 
ing  it  within  the  reach  of  every  church. 

A  MISSIONARY  AND  A  WRITER. 

Closely  associated  with  her  mother,  Mrs.  Jackson  John¬ 
son,  in  the  formative  work  of  the  Wilmington  Presbyterial,  Miss 
Lillian  Johnson  afterwards  became  the  wife  of  Rev.  L.  W. 
Curtis  and  went  with  him  as  a  missionary  under  the  Presby¬ 
terian  Board,  U.  S.  A.,  to  Siam.  As  a  result  of  her  life  there 
she  wrote  “The  Laos  of  North  Siam,”  which  has  an  introduc¬ 
tion  by  Robert  E.  Speer.  The  book  is  descriptive  of  the  coun¬ 
try  and  its  people  and  the  influence  of  Christianity.  Mrs. 
Curtis  has  also  contributed  freely  to  the  Church  papers  and  to 
the  Missionary  Review. 

Fayetteville.  1889. 

The  minutes  of  Fayetteville  Presbytery  in  1880  have  this 
entry:  “This  report  shows  that  twelve  Ladies’  Missionary 

Societies  gave  $19.36  more  than  all  the  churches  in  the  Pres¬ 
bytery.”  With  such  a  spirit,  it  is  no  wonder  that  the  records 
of  Fayetteville  Union-Presbyterial  show  such  remarkable  de¬ 
velopment  through  the  years.  This  was  organized  in  Septem¬ 
ber,  1889,  at  the  Fayetteville  Church,  in  response  to  a  call  for 
this  purpose  from  two  women  of  the  Fayetteville  Church,  Miss 
Hannah  Chamberlain  and  Mrs.  F.  H.  Lanneau. 

The  Constitution  and  By-Laws  which  were  adopted  at 
this  meeting,  and  afterward  ratified  with  some  slight  changes, 
were  formulated  chiefly  by  Miss  Chamberlain.  For  many  years 
it  has  been  thought  that  Presbytery  refused  to  sanction  the 
organization  or  its  constitution;  but  the  following  extract  from 
the  Minutes  of  Fayetteville  Presbytery,  prove  this  to  be  an 
error : 

“Presbytery  endorsed  the  organization  of  the  Ladies’  Mis¬ 
sionary  Union  within  its  bounds,  after  carefully  examining  a 
copy  of  its  Constitution. 

P.  R.  Law,  Moderator, 

Sept.  26,  1889.” 


NORTH  CAROLINA 


263 


This  misapprehension  arose  from  the  fact  that  a  large 
minority  of  the  ministers  were  opposed  to  the  Union.  The  Con¬ 
stitution  was  the  one  afterwards  furnished  to  Missionary  Unions 
by  the  Executive  Committee  of  Foreign  Missions.  This  char¬ 
acteristic  request  of  our  lamented  Dr.  Rankin  was  made  nine 
years  later : 

“Dear  Mrs.  McRae:  Please  send  me  a  copy  of  your  Con¬ 
stitution.  Also,  kindly  send  one  to  Dr.  Green.  He  is  pre¬ 
paring  a  report  for  the  Synod  of  Kentucky  in  favor  of  Presby- 
terial  Unions,  but  there  are  strong  opponents.  Can  you  not 
write  to  Dr.  Green  how  harmless,  how  un-new-woman-like, 
and  how  useful  your  old  Scotch  Presbyterial  Union  has  been? 
It  will  help  the  cause.  I  congratulate  you  on  your  splendid 
showing.  Cordially, 

D.  C.  Rankin.” 

At  the  following  meeting,  Miss  Chamberlain  was  elected 
Secretary,  but  before  the  next,  “she  was  not,  for  God  took 
her.”  The  memorial  spread  on  the  minutes  of  that  meeting 
states,  “To  her  consecrated  zeal  and  untiring  efforts  the  Union 
owes  its  existence.” 

MRS.  ELIZABETH  McRAE. 

“If  Fayetteville  Union  owes  its  birth  to  Miss  Chamberlain, 
it  owes  its  continued  existence,  its  growth  and  success  to  the 
nurture  and  labors  of  Mrs.  McRae.  No  history  of  this  Union 
can  be  written  which  is  not  a  history  of  her  toils  and  achieve¬ 
ment. 

“On  her  election  as  President  she  immediately  began  the 
systematic  visitation  of  every  church  and  society  in  the  Pres¬ 
bytery,  covering  eight  counties,  nearly  all  of  which  were  sparsley 
settled  with  few  railroads.  In  one  period  of  three  years,  she 
made  two  hundred  and  eleven  visits  to  congregations.  In  the 
year  1895,  the  year  she  was  seventy  years  old,  she  traveled  nine 
hundred  miles  in  private  conveyance,  visiting  fifty-three 


264 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


churches.  By  the  close  of  1896,  she  had  traveled  nearly  six 
thousand  miles,  mostly  in  an  open  buggy,  through  heat  and 
cold,  snow  and  rain.  All  this  in  the  intervals  between  teach¬ 
ing  school  at  home  and  a  mission  school  in  the  mountains. 
.Some  years  she  records  having  written  as  many  as  two  hundred 
and  fifty  letters.  In  many  of  the  places  visited,  she  remained 
several  days,  making  house  to  house  visits  ...  in  some 
instances,  visiting  every  home  in  the  congregation.  She  wrestled 
with  conservative  preachers  and  elders,  and  with  women.” 

Nothing  but  extracts  from  Mrs.  McRae’s  journal  can  show 
what  her  work  meant  to  her — of  self-denial,  domestic  and 
financial;  of  weariness  and  discouragement.  We  must  remem¬ 
ber  that  these  extracts  are  from  her  own  private  diary,  and 

• 

that  she  was  sixty-five  years  old  when  she  began  this  work: 

“My  words  fell  on  listless  ears.”  “They  seemed  sunk  in 
worldliness.”  (This  church  has  now  several  flourishing  socie¬ 
ties,  and  has  furnished  many  officers.)  “Was  so  completely 
exhausted  by  the  long  ride,  I  could  scarcely  stand  to  speak, 
but  did  my  best.”  “On  Wednesday,  came  to  Mr. — ’s;  a  very 
uncomfortable  time  until  I  left.”  “Very  tired  and  coughing, 
and  had  to  walk  half  a  mile  to  the  church  in  the  mud  and  rain. 
Met  a  few  ladies  and  talked  to  them  in  great  pain  and  weak¬ 
ness.  Then  another  half  mile  in  pouring  rain,  wet  clothes  and 
wet  feet,  but  a  good  night’s  rest.  A  hard  run  the  next  day  to 
catch  the  train,  out  of  breath,  heart  panting,  but  the  Lord  kept 
me.” 

“Came  with  a  runaway  horse  over  dreadful  roads.  Society 
entirely  dead.  No  hope  of  revival.  Time  lost.”  “Was  twice 
interrupted  in  my  talk,  and  had  to  give  it  up.” 

There  are  records  of  long  journeys,  sometimes  utterly  no 
result;  sometimes  no  one  to  meet  her;  sometimes  the  meeting 
not  even  arranged  for;  sometimes  not  a  soul  present  but  her¬ 
self.  There  are  also  records  of  royal  welcomes,  enthusiastic 
meetings,  consecrated  women,  and  even  a  “warm  fire”  and  a 
“nice  clean  church.” 


NORTH  CAROLINA 


265 


The  hardships  have  been  emphasized  in  selecting  these 
items,  that  we  may  realize  what  this  pioneer  work  meant  to  the 
doer  of  it.  But  in  truth,  there  were  many  more  cold  shoulders 
than  warm  hand-clasps;  for  this  was  unconventional  work  in 
ultra-conservative  churches.  Narrow-mindedness  had  to  be 
overcome  among  preachers  and  people,  and  no  woman  or  man 
now  has  to  do  such  work,  because  she  did  it  so  well  then  that  its 
influence  permeated  the  bounds  of  the  Southern  Church. 

In  two  years  after  the  organization  of  the  Union,  this  staid 
old  Scotch  Presbytery,  whose  large  minority  was  opposed  to  its 
formation,  sent  a  letter  to  the  Secretary,  saying:  “The  an¬ 
nual  report  of  your  Society  was  received  by  the  Presbytery  with 
a  profound  sense  of  gratitude.  The  deepening  and  widening 
interest  awakened  by  it  throughout  our  bounds  was  felt  to  be 
substantial  ground  for  praise.  All  hearts  were  touched  by  the 
reported  activity  of  the  organization,  in  having  so  extended 
its  influence  as  to  put  our  Presbytery  in  the  lead  of  all  like 
bodies  in  the  whole  Southern  Church.”  The  brethren  seem  to 
have  grown  as  fast  as  the  Union!  So  the  victory  for  the 
woman’s  organized  work  was  won.  And  the  fruit  of  all  this 
labor  was  apparent  in  1898,  when  the  eight  societies  of  1888 
had  increased  to  sixty-five  women’s  societies  and  twenty-nine 
children’s  bands.  Besides  this  work  in  her  own  Presbytery 
she  aided  in  the  organization  of  many  Unions  in  her  own  and 
other  synods,  being  sustained  .  .  .  by  the  counsels  and 

prayers  of  her  pastor,  Dr.  H.  G.  Hill,  and  by  her  wonderful 
faith  in  God.  She  died  in  Wilmington,  April  17th,  1907,  in 
the  eighty-third  year  of  her  age. 

Orange.  1898. 

From  Mrs.  Elizabeth  McRae  and  Miss  S.  O’H.  Dickson, 
came  the  inspiration  and  perseverance  which  produced  Orange 
Missionary  Union. 

Mrs.  McRae  was  President  of  Fayetteville  Union,  the  second 
to  be  organized  in  the  Synod;  and  taking  counsel  of  her,  Miss 


266 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


Dickson,  a  woman  of  like  spirit,  set  out  as  leader  of  a  group 
of  pioneers  to  get  the  sanction  of  Orange  Presbytery  to  their 
plan  and  purpose  of  a  Union. 

Their  petition  to  Presbytery  (1898)  met  much  conserva¬ 
tive  opposition.  Following  a  stormy  discussion  in  the  morn¬ 
ing  session,  three  ministers  and  two  elders  continued  the  discus¬ 
sion  at  a  certain  dinner  table  that  day.  The  leader  of  the  op¬ 
position  was  one  of  the  number,  and  he  was  a  mighty  man  of 
valor  in  Presbytery.  As  he  brought  forth  his  strong  arguments 
the  case  of  the  poor  women  seemed  doomed, — to  the  fears  of 
one  of  their  number  who  listened  in  chastened  silence.  But 
in  the  providence  of  God,  Presbytery  set  aside  the  opposition 
that  afternoon,  and  granted  permission  for  the  woman’s  organi¬ 
zation  to  proceed. 

Five  years  later,  the  full-fledged  Missionary  Union  of 
Orange  met  in  that  minister’s  own  church;  and  this  honored 
Father  in  Israel  spent  hours  in  a  back  seat,  listening  with  at¬ 
tention,  if  not  with  enjoyment,  to  the  proceedings — apparently 
reconciled  to  the  existence,  temperament,  and  growth  of  the  lusty 
infant  he  had  tried  to  strangle  at  birth. 

On  the  28th  of  April,  1898,  representatives  of  eight  of  the 
fifty-six  churches  of  Orange  Presbytery  met  in  Winston-Salem 
at  Miss  Dickson’s  call,  to  organize  a  Foreign  Missionary  Union. 
Dr.  D.  C.  Rankin,  then  Secretary  of  Foreign  Missions,  presided, 
and  after  fervent  prayer  and  an  earnest  talk  on  woman’s  work 
in  the  church,  he  introduced  Mrs.  McRae,  who  proceeded  to 
organize  the  body,  giving  wise  counsel  and  encouragement.  Of¬ 
ficers  were  elected,  a  Constitution  was  adopted,  and  Miss 
Dickson  was  made  President. 

From  the  first,  the  Union  was  disparaged  and  antagonized 
by  the  conservative  element,  both  ministers  and  women.  To 
say  that  encouragement  from  pastors  in  general  was  feeble,  is 
to  state  it  mildly.  In  many  cases,  they  were  unresponsive  be¬ 
yond  belief,  and  comparatively  few  co-operated  with  the  Union. 

Through  various  means,  however,  the  advantages  of  con- 


NORTH  CAROLINA 


267 


ference  and  co-operation  became  evident  as  time  went  on. 
Extension  was  naturally  the  first  work  undertaken,  and  various 
were  the  measures  used  to  bring  about  organization  in  churches 
where  there  was  none,  and  to  bring  all  existing  societies  into 
co-operation  and  fellowship.  Recognizing  the  strategic  value 
of  Young  People's  Work,  the  Union  early  placed  special  em¬ 
phasis  upon  it.  This  was  the  first  department  to  have  a 
Superintendent — later  called  Secretary. 

Through  the  vears.  the  Union-Presbyterial  has  adjusted 
herself  to  the  systematic  promotion  of  the  Causes  of  the  Church, 
in  her  constituent  societies,  keeping  pace  with  the  lecommenda- 
tions  of  the  General  Woman's  Auxiliary,  these  later  years,  as 
she  did  with  those  of  the  Executive  Committees  before.  Since 
1906,  she  has  been  "Missionary"  instead  of  "Foreign  Mission¬ 
ary;"  and  today,  truly  "auxiliary"  to  the  work  of  the  Church 
in  its  entire  scope. 

Albemarle.  1898. 

On  the  23rd  of  September.  1898,  representatives  of  eight 
Societies  met  in  Raleigh  while  Presbytery  was  in  session,  and 
organized  the  Woman's  Home  and  Foreign  Missionary  Union 
of  Albemarle.  A  strong  constitution  was  adopted.  Mrs.  \\ . 
S.  Primrose  was  elected  President. 

Mecklenburg.  1904. 

In  1887  the  women  of  the  First  and  Second  Presbyterian 
Churches  of  Charlotte,  met  in  the  First  Church  to  plan  an 
organization  of  the  societies  of  Mecklenburg  Presbytery,  where 
none  existed,  and  to  stimulate  those  already  organized.  This 
was  the  first  step  toward  a  Missionary  Union.  The  next  year, 
all  churches  in  the  Presbytery  were  invited  to  send  delegates  to 
a  Woman's  Missionary  meeting  in  the  Second  Church.  This 
meeting  was  well  attended.  Many  interesting  papers  were 
read,  important  matters  were  discussed,  and  plans  were  made 
to  hold  the  meeting  even*  year.  But  Presbytery  did  not  ap¬ 
prove  of  the  women's  meeting,  so  these  plans  failed. 


268 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


But  in  1904,  sixteen  years  afterward,  by  the  persistent 
efforts  of  Rev.  George  Atkinson,  Presbytery  was  persuaded  to 
give  its  sanction,  and  the  women  made  another  attempt — this 
time,  with  fine  success,  for  twenty-seven  delegates,  representing 
sixteen  churches  responded  to  an  invitation  sent  to  all  women’s 
and  children’s  societies  in  the  Presbytery. 

Mrs.  W.  H.  Davis  was  elected  President,  Mrs.  F.  D. 
Osborne,  Secretary. 

Concord.  1906. 

Concord  Missionary  Union  was  organized  May  8th,  1906, 
in  Salisbury;  representing  both  Home  and  Foreign  interests  in 
her  constituent  Societies. 

Mrs.  Minna  Penick  Reid  of  Davidson,  the  first  President, 
served  four  years.  Mrs.  W.  B.  Ramsey  succeeded  her.  The 
growth  and  progress  of  Concord  Union-Presbyterial  has  been 
in  line  with  that  of  all  our  Woman’s  Work,  through  the  years. 

Kings  Mountain.  1907. 

The  Woman’s  Missionary  Union  of  Kings  Mountain  en¬ 
joys  the  proud  distinction  of  having  been  organized  by  a  Com¬ 
mittee  appointed  by  Presbytery  for  that  purpose!  “While  others 
(in  this  Synod,  at  least)  fought  to  win  the  prize,  and  sailed 
through  bloody  seas.” 

Rev.  James  Thomas,  Rev.  J.  B.  Cochran,  and  Rev.  R.  C. 
Anderson,  composed  this  committee. 

Ten  churches  and  thirteen  societies  were  represented,  and 
entered  the  Union,  and  Mrs.  D.  R.  LaFar  was  elected  Presi¬ 
dent. 

THE  SYNODICAL  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA. 

The  Presbyterials  of  this  Synodical,  in  order  of  date  of 
organization,  a*re  these:  Wilmington,  1888.  Fayetteville,  1889. 
Orange,  1898.  Albemarle  1898.  Mecklenburg,  1904.  Con¬ 
cord,  1906.  Kings  Mountain,  1907. 

The  plan  of  an  Annual  Conference  of  Union  Presidents 
seemed  to  spring  into  being  full-fledged,  about  1907,  being 


NORTH  CAROLINA 


269 


born  of  a  need.  And  so  well  did  it  serve  its  purpose  for  the 
time  being,  there  is  little  wonder  that  those  who  tried  it  out 
controverted  the  Synodical  Union  plan  at  first,  feeling  that  the 
Conference  was  sufficient  for  the  need. 

But  it  was  a  formative  period,  and  adventures  in  Unions 
had  been  successful;  so  by  cautious  advance,  the  idea  of  a 
Union  of  all  Presbyterial  Unions  gained  favor.  One  fine  after¬ 
noon  at  Montreat — August  10th,  1912 — a  group  gathered  in 
the  back  of  the  old  Auditorium  to  discuss  the  advisability  of 
organizing  a  North  Carolina  Synodical  Union. 

Representatives  were  there  from  all  the  Presbyterial  Unions 
of  the  Synod,  except  Asheville;  Mrs.  Jackson  Johnson  and 
Mrs.  W.  M.  Cumming  from  Wilmington;  Mrs.  R.  N.  Page  and 
Mrs.  R.  W.  Curtis  from  Fayetteville;  Mrs.  E.  C.  Murray  from 
Orange;  Mrs.  Samuel  Watkins  from  Albemarle;  Miss  Margaret 
Rankin  from  Mecklenburg;  Mrs.  W.  B.  Ramsey  from  Concord; 
Mrs.  L.  M.  Hull  and  Mrs.  J.  C.  Thompson  from  Kings  Moun¬ 
tain. 

The  question  of  organization  was  easily  disposed  of,  and 
favorably;  Albemarle,  only,  asking  for  time  for  consideration. 
The  next  question  was  the  name.  The.  issue  uppermost  at 
that  time  was,  Svnodical  “Union”  versus  Svnodical  “Con- 
ference,”  and  this  delegation  favored  the  “Conference”  idea. 

At  this  same  hour,  in  another  corner  of  the  Auditorium, 
the  four  Executive  Secretaries,  the  Synodical  representatives, 
and  Mrs.  Winsborough  were  engaged  in  another  meeting.  At 
this  juncture  in  the  North  Carolina  meeting,  a  message  was 
sent  by  this  group,  imploring  the  N.  C.  delegation  not  to  quibble 
ever  “Union”  or  “Conference,”  but  to  adopt  the  name  “Synod¬ 
ical.”  This  was  done;  though  the  majority  shook  their  heads 
over  the  incompleteness  of  the  term. 

That  evening,  in  the  upper  lobby  of  the  Alba  Hotel,  Dr. 
Yardell,  Synod’s  Chairman  of  Woman’s  work,  met  with  this 
group  and  gave  valuable  aid  in  formulating  the  Constitution, 
which  was  adopted  after  careful  consideration.  Wilmington 


270 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


being  the  Senior  Presbyterial  of  the  Synod,  a  President  was 
elected  from  her  constituency — Mrs.  Jackson  Johnson,  of 
Winnabow. 

A  gavel  now  in  use  in  the  Synodical  was  presented  by 
Mrs.  W.  B.  Ramsey  retiring  President  in  1920,  bearing  the 
following  Inscription : 

“Presented  to  the  North  Carolina  Synodical  Auxiliary  at 
Concord,  October  14th,  1920.  The  handle  of  this  gavel  is 
made  from  wood  taken  from  a  bench  in  the  Montreat  Audi¬ 
torium  where  the  Synodical  was  organized  in  1913.” 

The  first  Synodical  meeting  was  held  at  Montreat  in  1913, 
as  were  those  of  the  two  following  years.  Since  then  they 
have  been  held  in  the  Presbyteries  in  turn.  Mrs.  Winsborough 
attended  that  first  meeting,  and  her  counsel  on  points  of  organi¬ 
zation,  efficiency,  and  service  was  invaluable,  and  set  the 
standard  for  subsequent  action. 

During  her  seven  years  in  the  Office  of  Synodical  Secre¬ 
tary  of  Young  People’s  Work,  Miss  McElwee,  of  Statesville, 
has  brought  to  pass  such  remarkable  and  far-reaching  develop¬ 
ment  of  that  work,  it  should  be  noted  as  an  outstanding  achieve¬ 
ment  of  this  Synodical.  Four  Young  People’s  Conferences  have 
been  held,  (1922)  with  incalculable  influence  upon  the  hundreds 
attending  in  quickened  spirit  and  life-enlistment.  The  Synod 
has  been  aroused  and  interested  in  our  Young  People  as  never 
before.  Many  Synods  have  followed  this  pioneer  movement, 
and  letters  of  inquiry  concerning  both  the  Conference  and  the 
Young  People’s  League  (now  in  successful  operation)  have 
been  received  from  Secretaries  of  the  Cause  all  over  the  Church. 


OKLAHOMA 


271 


OKLAHOMA 


272 


PIONEER 


WOMEN 


Mrs.  W.  J.  B.  Lloyd,  Oklahoma.  A  pioneer 
Missionary  to  the  Indians. 


OKLAHOMA 


273 


OKLAHOMA 

MISSION  TO  THE  INDIANS. 

Ever  since  1806  the  Presbyterian  Church  has  given  of 
its  means  and  of  its  men  for  the  uplift  and  salvation  of  the 
Cherokee  and  Choctaw  tribes.  In  the  early  days  substantial 
mission  work  was  done  among  them  at  various  points  east  of 
the  Mississippi.  When  the  emigration  of  the  tribes  to  Indian 
Territory  occurred  in  1832 — which  has  been  aptly  named  “The 
Trail  of  Tears” — three  of  our  most  active  missionaries,  Cyrus 
Byington,  Alfred  Wright  and  Ebenezer  Hotchkin  chose  to  go 
with  them,  sharing  the  hardships  and  privations  with  their 
sad  and  discouraged  friends. 

Through  succeeding  years  the  names  of  Wright  and  Hotch¬ 
kin  have  endured  as  a  second  and  third  generation  have  de¬ 
voted  themselves  to  the  Indians.  In  this  work  women  have 
played  a  large  part. 

In  1823  Miss  Philena  Thatcher  left  Harford,  Penn.,  and 
came  down  the  Ohio  in  a  boat  into  the  Mississippi  River  to 
Memphis,  then  across  to  Eliot,  Miss.,  to  become  a  missionary 
teacher  to  the  Choctaws.  Her  entire  life  was  given  to  the  In¬ 
dians.  She  sleeps  today  in  an  unmarked  grave  between  the 
murky  waters  of  the  Boggy  and  Red  Rivers  in  Oklahoma.  She 
was  married  to  Ebenezer  Hotchkin  in  1830,  and  came  with  her 
husband  on  the  memorable  “Trail  of  Tears”  to  the  wilds  of 
Indian  Territory.  They  carried  on  their  work  together  until 
1871  when  both  were  taken  Home  within  a  few  days  of  each 
other.  Two  sons  continued  their  labors  among  the  Indians, 
and  today  there  are  two  grandsons  still  “carrying  on.” 

In  1857  Mary  J.  Semple  left  her  home  in  Steubenville, 
Ohio  and  journeyed  by  boat  down  the  Ohio  into  the  Missis¬ 
sippi  River  to  Gaines’  landing.  From  this  point  the  journey  was 
made  by  wagon  300  miles  through  the  swamps  and  forest  of 


274 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


Arkansas  to  Wheelock,  I.  T.  This  was  one  of  the  first  mission 
stations  established,  and  at  the  present  time  one  of  the  best 
schools  among  the  Indians  is  located  at  this  point.  It  is  known 
as  the  Wheelock  Female  Academy.  Miss  Semple  taught  her 
first  school  at  this  place. 

The  records  show  that  she  was  of  the  first  families  of 
Steubenville,  was  educated  in  the  Wheeling  Female  Seminary, 
and  was  only  eighteen  years  old  when  she  left  her  home  for  a 
life  work  among  the  Indians. 

In  her  diary  she  says  that  when  she  was  only  twelve 
years  old  a  Missionary,  Dr.  Scudder  from  India,  visited  the 
church  and  spoke  upon  missions  and  urged  the  great  need  of 
workers.  He  said  to  the  children  who  were  present:  “Go 
home  and  ask  your  mother  to  write  in  the  back  of  your  Bible, 
‘Dr.  Scudder  wants  me  to  be  a  missionary.’  ”  She  said,  “I  often 
looked  at  this  writting  in  my  Bible  and  wondered  if  God 
wanted  me  to  be  a  missionary.”  She  wrote  again  in  another 
place  of  singing  a  solo  part  in  the  chorus,  “The  Missionary 
Call.”  She  said,  “As  I  sang  the  chorus,  tears  were  streaming 
down  my  cheeks  in  the  presence  of  a  great  congregation,  I 
knew  that  the  call  had  come  into  my  own  soul,  and  I'  must  go.” 
Soon  after  that  incident  Dr.  Kingsbury  went  into  the  North 
hunting  for  two  missionary  teachers.  The  lot  fell  upon  Miss 
Greenlee  and  Miss  .Semple.  Miss  Semple  speaks  of  herself  as 
being  giddy  and  gaudily  dressed  with  wide  hoops.  Miss  Green¬ 
lee  was  very  quiet  and  reserved  and  her  dress  was  very  plain, 
altogether  in  keeping  with  the  missionary  spirit.  Miss  Semple 
tells  of  Dr.  Kingsbury  taking  her  upon  his  knee  and  saying: 
“Yours  is  a  lovely  home,  and  you  have  known  no  hardships, 
nor  have  had  to  do  any  work.  |The  journey  you  are  to  take  is 
a  hard  one,  and  very  long  and  the  people  to  whom  you  go  are  a 
very  strange  people.  You  will  see  very  few  of  your  own  race, 
and  there  is  not  promise  of  a  return  home  for  years.  Now 
Miss  Semple,  if  you  choose  to  stay  it  will  be  all  right.”  She 
sprang  from  his  knee  and  turned  and  said:  “Dr.  Kingsbury, 


OKLAHOMA 


275 


1  thought  you  wanted  missionaries;  if  you  don’t  want  me,  of 
course  I  won’t  go.”  The  old  gentleman  said:  “We  do  want 
missionaries,  and  we  want  you.” 

She  went,  but  there  were  hard  lessons  ahead  of  her.  Every 
one  at  the  mission  looked  upon  her  with  suspicion — the  gaudy 
dress  with  the  wide  hoops  were  out  of  place.  Her  guitar  and 
the  delicate  hands  did  not  seem  to  match  the  duties  of  the 
mission.  There  were  no  calls  for  her  from  the  various  sta¬ 
tions,  but  she  was  allotted  to  teach  at  Wheelock.  The  records 
show  that  Miss  Semple’s  school  was  the  best  taught  and  the 
best  managed  in  all  the  field. 

The  next  year  there  were  many  calls  for  her,  but  she  was 
very  shortly  married  to  Henry  W.  Hotchkin,  son  of  Ebenezer 
Hotchkin.  She  raised  a  family  of  eight  children  to  their  major¬ 
ity,  and  in  addition  to  this  raised  eight  boys  and  girls  of  the 
Indian  tribe,  giving  them  the  very  best  of  her  home  and  an  edu¬ 
cation.  Her  teaching  amounted  in  all  to  at  least  fifty  years. 
She  came  to  Durant  in  1896  with  her  son  Ebenezer,  and  began 
work  in  the  Calvin  Institute,  which  afterwards  became  Durant 
College  and  later  Oklahoma  Presbyterian  College  for  Girls. 

In  1870  Rev.  W.  J.  Lloyd  heard  the  call  of  Rev.  Allen 
Wright  for  more  missionaries  and  came  with  his  young  wife 
and  four  little  children^  to  Bennington,  I.  T.  Conditions  were 
very  hard,  the  winters  intensely  cold,  and  there  were  few  com¬ 
forts  in  their  log  house.  Often  Mr.  Lloyd  had  to  leave  his 
family  for  weeks  at  a  time,  while  he  made  trips  across  country 
visiting  groups  of  Indians,  Writing  of  these  early  years,  Mr. 
Lloyd  said:  “In  all  these  years  Mrs.  Lloyd  met  her  full  share 
of  responsibility.  No  one  can  realize  the  solicitude,  even  agony, 
of  her  soul  as  she  spent  her  days  and  nights  alone  with  her 
helpless  babies,  often  in  tears  of  terror  before  she  learned  the 
Indians.  Her  only  guardian  on  these  occasions  was  her  faith¬ 
ful  dog,  Ruler,  the  gift  of  an  Indian.  He  would  stalk  around 
the  premises  at  night-fall  to  see  if  everything  was  quiet,  then 
would  throw  himself  across  the  doorway,  and  the  family  felt 


216 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


safe.  Grandually  she  came  to  know  and  love  the  Indian  char¬ 
acter.  ” 

Mrs.  William  Gardner,  familiarly  known  as  Aunt  Polly, 
was  her  nearest  neighbor  and  soon  became  an  intimate  com¬ 
panion.  She  showed  Mrs.  Lloyd  that  the  way  to  the  Indian’s 
heart  and  affection  was  through  kindness.  How  well  she 
learned  the  lesson  is  shown  by  her  significant  expression:  “We 
fed  them  when  they  were  well,  nursed  them  when  they  were  sick, 
and  buried  them  when  they  died.” 

The  Goodland  School  and  Orphanage  holds  a  wonderful 
record  for  Christian  service.  This  was  started  by  Mrs.  Eliza- 
betfy  Rood  Allison,  a  cultured,  refined  Christian!  lady  who  came 
from  St.  Charles,  Mo.,  in  1894.  She  afterwards  opened  a 
school,  at  Cold  Spring,  and  another  at  Lexington.  It  is  said 
of  her:  “Few  people  who  have  lived,  loved  and  died  in  the 
Indian  Missions,  have  accomplished  more  good  than  Mrs.  Alli¬ 
son  in  her  gentle,  quiet,  consecrated  life  of  love  with  these 
people.” 

Miss  Anna  L.  Paxson  also  of  Missouri,  had  charge  of  a 
school  at  Chish  Ok  Tok,  Oklahoma,  where  there  is  one  of  the 
largest  Indian  churches  in  the  Presbytery.  Here  for  years  she 
conducted  a  boarding  and  day  school,  fitting  both  boys  and 
girls  for  a  life  of  usefulness  and  positions  of  trust  among 
their  own  people.  For  many  years  hers  was  the  only  white 
face  to  be  seen  in  the  congregation  and  the  Indians  loved  and 
trusted  her. 

This  is  but  a  brief  memorial  to  the  part  played  by  women 
as  missionaries  to  the  Indians,  leaving  unmentioned  many 
others  who  have  given  or  are  still  giving  their  lives  just  as 
heroically  to  redeem  a  debt  we  owe  as  Christian  Americans. 

Pioneering  Days. 

Pioneering  Days  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  among  the 
white  people  of  Oklahoma,  date  back  only  to  the  beginning  of 
this  century. 


OKLAHOMA 


277 


Although  for  half  a  century  work  had  been  going  on  among 
the  Indians  of  Indian  Territory,  which  was  later  to  become 
a  part  of  the  State  of  Oklahoma,  there  had  been  no  advance  of 
our  church  among  the  white  people  who  were  coming  in  ever 
increasing  numbers  to  carve  out  their  fortunes  in  this  new 
and  wonderful  land.  Here  in  this  country  were  to  be  re-enacted 
many  of  the  hardships  and  trying  experiences  of  the  pioneers 
and  home-steaders  of  a  century  before,  who  had  settled  the 
States  East  of  the  Mississippi.  But  men  went  into  Oklahoma 
Territory  with  different  ideals  and  purposes  than  their  fore¬ 
fathers  had  carried  with  them.  Frequently  men  went  without 
their  families,  seeking  a  land  where  they  could  get  rich  quick, 
and  then  return  to  their  own  homes;  the  population  was  very 
shiftirfg. 

The  church  and  school  were  not  the  centres  of  the  com¬ 
munity  life  in  the  rough  towns  that  sprang  up  mushroom -like 
over  night.  Neither  did  pastors  go  hand  in  hand  with  their 
little  flocks  to  found  new  homes  among  forests  primeval.  Most 
frequently  vice  and  evil  conditions  were  rampant  before  the 
Missionary  arrived,  and  the  Church  had  literally  to  thrust  its 
way  in. 

In  May  1901,  General  Assembly  directed  the  Executive 
Committee  of  Home  Missions  to  make  such  investigations  as 
would  enable  it  to  undertake  the  work  intelligently  in  Okla¬ 
homa  Territory. 

Of  the  men  whom  our  Committee  sent  into  the  field,  some 
stayed;  others  spent  only  a  few  months  and  were  transferred  else¬ 
where.  Those  who  stayed  and  persevered  against  almost  over¬ 
whelming  obstacles,  soon  began  to  reap  a  rich  reward  for  their 
labors,  as  church  after  church  was  organized  and  modern  and 
attractive  Houses  of  Worship  supplanted  the  rude  shacks  that 
served  the  first  groups  of  people.  Many  of  these  first  mission¬ 
aries  were  real  heroes  and  their  wives  no  less  heroines. 

The  Woman’s  Missionary  Society  of  the  Central  Presby¬ 
terian  Church  of  Atlanta,  Ga.,  agreed  to  pay  half  the  salary 


278 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


of  a  missionary  to  Oklahoma  Territory.  Rev.  H.  S.  Davidson 
of  Bowie,  Texas,  took  advantage  of  this  offer,  was  employed 
for  half  his  time  and  was  assigned  to  the  Southern  part  of 
Oklahoma  Territory  where  no  Presbyterian  was  at  work.  He 
organized  a  church  at  Mangum  with  seventeen  members,  which 
grew  rapidly  and  soon  became  self-supporting. 

Within  five  years  Mangum  was  to  give  its  name  to  the 
Presbytery  of  Mangum,  made  up  of  eighteen  churches  and 
twelve  ministers,  the  entire  Presbytery  having  grown  from  the 
work  of  Rev.  H.  S.  Davidson  and  the  funds  invested  by  the 
Missionary  Society  of  the  Central  Presbyterian  Church,  Atlanta. 

To  one  woman,  Miss  Annie  Shadden,  much  of  the  ad¬ 
vance  work  in  Oklahoma  was  due.  She  was  the  first  woman 
Missionary  of  the  Home  Mission  Committee,  and  when  she 
was  sent  out  she  was  given  much  freedom  and  latitude.  She 
went  about  visiting  in  the  new  towns,  into  the  homes  of  the 
sick  and  lonely,  organizing  Sunday-schools,  securing  names  of 
Presbyterians  for  prospective  churches,  holding  mid-week  prayer 
services,  encouraging  and  holding  together  little  groups  until 
a  Homd  Missionary  Pastor  could  arrive.  Out  of  her  work  grew 
such  splendid  churches  as  Shawnee,  Lawton,  People’s  Church 
and  Oklahoma  City.  She  also  organized  Women’s  Missionary 
Societies  and  did  various  kinds  of  personal  work. 

There  must  be  stories  of  pioneer  efforts  and  sacrifices  of 
godly  women  in  Oklahoma,  who  were  zealous  to  set  their  com¬ 
munities  right  with  God,  and  to  create  healthy  environments 
for  their  children,  but  everything  and  everybody  is  still  too 
new  and  busy  to  stop  to  gather  records,  or  for  these  records 
to  find  their  proper  importance  and  significance. 

PRESBYTERIAL  ORGANIZATION. 

Durant.  1904. 

That  women  were  banded  together  for  the  good  of  their 
churches,  is  attested!  to  by  their  very  early  organization  into 
Presbyterials.  In  September  1904,  Rev.  John  A.  Williams, 


OKLAHOMA 


279 


and  Mrs.  H.  B.  Sears,  were  appointed  to  organize  the  Ladies’ 
Aid  and  Missionary  Societies  of  Durant  Presbytery,  into  a 
Union.  Each  society  had  been  requested  to  send  two  representa¬ 
tives,  and  a  program  was  prepared  for  the  organization  meeting 
held  in  Durant,  September  21,  1904.  Delegates  were  present 
from  nine  societies  in  five  churches. 

A  constitution  was.  adopted  and  Mrs,  W.  T.  Matthews  was 
elected  president.  At  this  time  papers  were  read  on  “Woman’s 
Place  in  the  Home  Mission  Field;”  “How  Women  can  Best 
Assist  the  Pastor.”  “How  to  Enlist  Children  in  Missions,” 
and  “The  Relations  between  Home  and  Foreign  Missions,” 
all  of  them  of  practical  bearing. 

Durant  Presbyterian  College,  later  to  become  Oklahoma 
College  for  Women,  was  of  special  interest  to  the  Presbyterial 
from  its  very  start,  and  as  many  of  the  meetings  were  held  at 
Durant,  the  progress  of  the  college  could  be  closely  watched. 

The  first  years  of  organization  were  a  hard  struggle,  dis¬ 
tance  and  expense  being  two  large  obstacles.  A  firmer  financial 
basis  helped  to  remove  these  troubles,  enabling  larger  groups 
of  women  to  receive  the  inspiration  and  practical  help  of  the 
meetings. 

Indian  Presbyterial.  1910. 

By  order  of  Indian  Presbytery,  Rev.  C.  J.  Ralston  was 
directed  to  organize  the  various  Aid  and  Missionary  Societies 
in  Indian  Presbytery  into  a  Presbyterial.  This  was  done  at 
Chish  Ok  Tok  in  1910.  Delegates  had  come  from  Goodland, 
Cold  Springs,  Old  Bennington,  New  Bennington,  Wide  Spring, 
Sandy  Creek,  Standing  Rock  and  Chish  Ok  Tok.  Mrs.  Wolf, 
wife  of  Rev.  Jonas  Wolf,  an  Indian  pastor,  was  elected  Presi¬ 
dent,  which  office  she  held  for  four  years.  .She  was  very  zeal¬ 
ous,  very  faithful  in  the  discharge  of  her  duties,  never  missing 
a  meeting  of  either  Presbytery  or  Presbyterial,  and  was  always 
interested  and  ready  to  be  instructed  in  the  work  of  her  church. 
She  spoke  both  English  and  Choctaw  which  made  her  services 
peculiarly  valuable. 

Other  women  who  have  been  prominent  in  the  work  of  the 


280 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


Presbyterial  are  Mrs.  S.  L.  Bacon,  Mrs.  William  Le  Flore, 
Mrs.  Dwight,  Mrs.  F.  M.  Mosely,  Mrs.  Go  Forth,  and  Mrs 
H.  L.  Gooding. 

Their  meetings  are  held  at  the  same  time  and  place  as 
Presbytery,  which  means  that  whole  families  are  in  attendance, 
sharing  the  privileges  and  entering  reverently  into  the  services 
of  prayer  and  praise. 

Mrs.  J.  R.  Pritchard,  an  Indian  of  Banty,  did  much  to 
organize  Indian  Presbyterial  along  Auxiliary  lines.  She  read 
Choctaw  and  was  of  great  help  to  the  Synodical  of  Oklahoma, 
and  was  its  treasurer  for  a  number  of  years. 

Man  gum  Presbyterial.  1912. 

On  November  14,  1912,  Rev.  J.  M.  Clark,  then  Chairman 
of  Home  Missions  for  Oklahoma,  called  a  meeting  of  the 
women  of  Mangum  Presbytery  at  Oklahoma  City,  and  organ¬ 
ized  the  Mangum  Presbyterial  with  Mrs.  J.  M.  Clark  as  the 
first  President. 

SYNODICAL  ORGANIZATION.  1912. 

At  the  same  time  that  Mangum  Presbyterial  was  organized, 
delegates  had  been  asked  to  come  to  Oklahoma  City  from 
Durant  and  Indian  Presbyterials  for  the  organization  of  a 
Synodical  Auxiliary  of  Oklahoma.  This  followed  immediate¬ 
ly  after  the  organization  of  Mangum  Presbyterial.  Mrs.  K.  H. 
Warren  was  elected  President.  With  practically  no  Synodical 
funds,  and  in  the  face  of  tremendous  discouragements,  Mrs. 
Warren  persevered,  building  foundations  strong  and  sure. 

During  the  presidency  of  Mrs.  G.  T.  Ralls,  a  contingent 
fee  of  fifty  cents  was  adopted,  which  enabled  the  organiza¬ 
tion  to  develop  more  rapidly.  Through  the  efforts  of  Mrs. 
Ralls  and  Mrs.  Sears  the  Oklahoma  Presbyterian  Assembly 
was  instituted,  giving  to  the  churches  a  Summer  Conference 
for  Study  and  social  intercourse. 

Mrs.  R.  W.  Calhoun  was  elected  President  in  1920,  and 
the  work  is  advancing  rapidly  under  her  efficient  leadership. 


SOUTH  CAROLINA 


281 


SOUTH  CAROLINA 


282 


PIONEER 


WOMEN 


Mrs.  F.  Lcuise  Mayes,  South  Carolina 


SOUTH  CAROLINA 


283 


SOUTH  CAROLINIA 

(Compiled  by  Mrs.  W.  K.  Seago.) 

THE  PERIOD  OF  THE  INDIVIDUAL  AND  THE 

HOME. 

The  lines  are  fallen  unto  me  in  pleasant  places;  yet,  I 
have  a  goodly  heritage. — Psalm  16:6. 

The  Presbyterian  women  of  South  Carolina  have  indeed 
a  goodly  heritage.  They  come  of  heroic  blood.  Their  fore¬ 
mothers  brought  to  the  new  home  in  the  Western  world  the 
spirit  oh  the  two  Margarets  of  Scotland — Margaret  McLauch- 
lan  and  Margaret  Wilson,  who  suffered  martyrdom  by  drown¬ 
ing,  because  “they  would  take  none  of  the  oaths  pressed 
upon  women  as  well  as  men,  nor  desist  from  hearing  Pres¬ 
byterian  ministers,  and  joining  with  their  friends  in  prayer, 
and  supplying  their  relations  and  acquaintances  in  their 
straits.”  They  inherited  the  courage  and  piety  of  Judith  Mani- 
gault,  the  Huguenot,  who  abandoned  home  and  goods  in  fair 
France  for  liberty  of  conscience  in  America. 

Those  “who  followed  in  their  train”  were  worthy  of 
their  ancestors.  They  kept  alive  on  the  hearth  stone  the 
fires  of  religion  and  patriotism — twins — as  John  Knox  calls 
them. 

They  helped  literally  to  build  the  homes  in  the  wilder¬ 
ness.  They  endured  all  the  horrors  of  Indian  warfare,  often 
to  the  death,  as  was  the  case  with  Catherine  Calhoun,  grand¬ 
mother  of  John  C.  Calhoun.  She,  with  fifty  others,  was 
killed  in  the  Long  Cane  Massacre,  in  Abbeville  County  in 
1760. 

During  the  War  of  the  Revolution,  the  women  fired  the 
hearts  and  nerved  the  arms  of  their  men  fighting  for  freedom. 

In  the  Fishing  Creek  Congregation,  Chester  County, 
Mary,  Margaret  and  Ellen  Gill,  Isabella  and  Margaret  Kelso, 


284 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


Sarah  Knox,  Margaret,  Elizabeth  and  Mary  Mills,  Mary  Mc¬ 
Clure  and  Nancy  Brown  formed  themselves  into  a  company 
of  reapers  and  went  day  after  day  from  one  farm  to  the  other, 
and  gathered  the  crops  of  the  absent  soldiers. 

It  was  within  the  walls  of  old  Waxhaw  Church,  Lan¬ 
caster  County,  that  the  mother  of  President  Andrew  Jackson, 
presented  him  to  God  in  baptism. 

During  the  Revolution,  Mrs.  Jackson  made  the  long  and 
dangerous  trip  from  Waxhaw  to  Charleston,  carrying  clothes, 
provisions  and  medicine  to  her  son  and  other  American  sol¬ 
diers  on  a  prison  ship.  She  died  on  the  return  trip  from  a 
fever  caught  while  on  her  errand  of  mercy. 

Look  at  Mrs.  Ogier  as  she  stands  on  the  fortifications 
of  Charleston  Harbor,  waving  her  bonnet  in  the  air,  and  in 
the  face  of  the  infuriated  British  soldiers,  calling  to  her  fel¬ 
low  citizens  on  the  departing  prison  ship:  “Courage,  my 
countrymen,  keep  up  your  spirits,  better  days  ahead.”  Other 
names  of  noted  women  of  that  period  are  Martha  Bratton — 
of  Bethesda  Church,  York  County — Jane  Thomas,  of  Fair- 
forest  Church,  Union  County,  and  Mary  Musgrove. 

What  Green  wrote  of  Puritan  England  was  true  of  Pres¬ 
byterian  South  Carolina;  they  were  “the  people  of  a  book, 
and  that  book  was  the  Bible.”  The  Shorter  Catechism  came 
next  to  the  Holy  Scriptures. 

The  writer  remembers  that  her  grandmother,  Mrs.  Marga¬ 
ret  Adams  Crenshaw,  could  repeat  her  catechism,  forwards 
and  backwards,  asking  the  questions.  The  women  were  given 
to  hospitality  and  the  pulpits  were  filled  by  the  sons  of  pray¬ 
ing  mothers.  To  be  “a  Presbyterian  Minister”  was  regarded 
by  them  as  the  summum  bonum  to  be  attained  by  their  boys. 

The  Sabbath  was  the  Lord’s  Day.  The  housewife  and 
her  helpers  were  busy  all  day  Saturday  preparing  food,  that 
there  should  be  no  unnecessary  labor  on  the  Sabbath. 

The  writer  remembers  hearing  it  related  that  Mrs.  Nanc\ 
Witherspoon,  of  Salem  Black  River  Church,  Sumter  County, 


SOUTH  CAROLINA 


285 


was  in  the  habit,  on  Saturday  night,  of  gathering  and  putting 
away  all  secular  playthings,  books  and  papers.  In  the  coun¬ 
try  congregations  of  the  early  times  “the  meeting  house  spring 
at  the  foot  of  the  hill  was  a  popular  place  and  presented  a 
lively  scene  as  women  and  girls  found  this  a  convenient  place 
to  don  their  best.  Here  they  pulled  on  their  fine  stockings 
and  shawls  and  shook  out  the  triangular  folds  of  their  snowy 
linen  aprons,  these  articles  of  apparel  having  been  carried 
until  now.” 

As  the  mistresses  of  the  rice  and  cotton  plantations,  our 
Presbyterian  women  taught  to  their  slaves,  the  principles  of 
civilization  and  Christianity  which  made  the  fidelity  and  de¬ 
motion  of  the  negroes,  tried  in  the  crucible  of  the  Civil  War, 
the  wonder  and  admiration  of  the  world.  And  during  the 
dark  days  of  1861-1865,  when  few  were  the  homes  in  which 
the  supreme  sacrifice  was  not  made,  their  faith  in  God  and 
their  cause  never  faltered. 

Of  them,  it  may  be  said  as  of  Napoleon’s  old  guard: 
“They  died  but  never  surrendered.” 

And  with  what  patience  and  hope  they  helped  to  reor¬ 
ganize  and  build  anew  the  shattered  fabric  of  church  and  state ! 
And  now 

“The  old  order  changeth,  yielding  place  to  new 
And  God  fulfills  Himself  in  many  ways, 

Lest  one  good  custom  should  corrupt  the  world.” 

We  are  entering  upon  the  period  of  organization  in  which 
the  individual  is  not  smothered,  as  so  many  have  feared, 
but  given  a  larger  sphere. 

“Build  thee  more  stately  mansions,  O  my  Soul, 

As  the  swift  seasons  roll.” 

Miss  Margaret  Gist, 
Synodical  Historian  of  South  Carolina. 

EARLY  DAYS. 

Among  the  churches  of  South  Carolina,  we  find  at  least 


286 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


six  whose  organizations  began  before  the  War  of  the  Revolu¬ 
tion.  Three  of  these  are  in  Charleston  Presbyterial.  The 
oldest  church  organization  in  this  division  is  claimed  by 
Edisto,  being  consummated  in  1695. 

John’s  Island  and  Wardmalaw  Church,  founded  in  1710 
claims,  on  the  authority  of  Dr.  R.  C.  Reid,  to  be  the  oldest 
bona  fide  Presbyterian  Church  in  South  Carolina. 

The  First  Presbyterian  or  Scotch  Church  of  Charleston 
was  founded  in  1731. 


THE  LADIES  EDUCATION  SOCIETY—  1809. 

In  the  Second  Church  of  Charleston  in  the  year  1809 
was  organized  the  first  Woman’s  Society  of  Charleston  and 
the  first  in  the  Presbyterian  Church,  U.  S.,  as  far  as  present 
records  reveal.  It  was  connected  with  “The  Congregational 
and  Presbyterian  Association”  of  the  City  from,  1815  to  1821. 
After  this  period  it  seemed  best  for  the  women  to  form  an 
organization  of  their  own.  This  was  done,  and  the  name 
of  “'i'he  Second  Female  Education  Society”  was  chosen  and 
Mrs.  Plack  was  made  president. 

The  object  of  this  Society  was,  in  1821,  exactly  what  it  is 
today — to  assist  in  the  education  of  young  men  for  the  ministry. 
In  the  earlier  years  of  its  history,  theological  students  at  both 
Princeton  and  Columbia  were  given  aid. 

The  Education  So<  iety  lias  done  a  wonderful  work  for 
the  past  century.  'I  he  roll  of  1892  benefit  iarios  curries  the 
names  of  many  men  of  mark  prominent  in  church  life,  mis¬ 
sionary  effort,  and  in  the  tollegiale  field  From  aiming  these 
we  would  mention: 

Dr.  Chas.  Stillman  loundei  oi  the  Stillman  Institute, 
of  Tuscaloosa. 

Dr.  Win,  P,  fatob  I  *  at  i  it  It  i  o|  Flint  nwcll  Orphanage. 

Dr.  Hampden  <  Dnlhmc  the  gmii  miMMiunnn  to  China. 

Dr.  |,  William  Minn  and  Di  |eit\  \\  ithei spoon, 

I  be  intonie  ol  tin  nitjrly  m  idiliilncd  hum  animal  dues 


SOUTH  CAROLINA 


of  one  dollar — from  the  sales  of  the  “ Basket"  an  institution 
dating  back  to  1837),  and  from  the  interest  of  legacies. 

To  this  cause,  Miss  Sarah  Arms  bequeathed  SI. 000.00 
Miss  Annie  R.  Robinson,  S737.  and  Miss  .Agnes  K.  Irving 
$1,000.00. 

Mrs.  Thomas  Smythe  and  her  sister.  iMiss  Susan  B. 
Adger  and  Mrs.  Samuel  Robertson  each  served  as  officers 
for  fifty  years. 

The  money  collected  by  the  Education  Society*  since  its 
beginning,  to  1922,  amounts  to  345,221.50. 

The  old  First  Presbyterian  Church  of  Charlesrion  has  many 
interesting  features  in  its  hist  or}*  which  are  connected  with 
women.  On  its  walls  are  many  historic  and  valued  chalets. 
Among  them  is  one  in  honor  of  Ladv  Anne  Murrav.  which  is 
surmounted  by  the  coat  of  arms  of  the  Cromarty  family.  It  is 
artistic  in  workmanship,  there  being  no  other  tablet  like  it  in 
America.  The  inscription  is  neatly  executed  on  wood.  and  is 
jrrounded  by  an  elaborately  carved  oaken  frame.  It  reads  as 
follows: 

In  this  Cemetery  lie  the  Remains 

of 

The  Right  Honorable 
Lady  Anne  Murray 
Third  Daughter 
of  George,  Earle  of  Cromarty, 
a  young  noblewoman  as 
Conspicuous  for  Piety  and  irtue 
as  she  was  for 

High  Birth  and  Illustrious  Descent. 

She  died  the  17th  of  January,  1765. 
much  lamented. 

A  custom  in  this  church  which  reaches  back  to  the 
.irk  of  Scotland  was  the  use  of  “Tokens  '  at  the  Communion 
iason.  The  Session  of  old  had  ven*  great  power  over  the 
mscience  of  the  individual  communicant  and  kept  strict  ever- 


288 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


Facsimile  of  Silver  Communion  Tokens 


SOUTH  CAROLINA 


289 


sight  of  his  behavior.  When  the  time  for  the  quarterly 
communion  came,  only  those  were  permitted  to  partake,  whose 
conduct  had  been  satisfactory  to  the  session  or,  in  the  case 
of  the  colored  members,  to  their  representatives,  the  “ Class 
Leaders.”  The  white  communicants  received  silver  Tokens 
and  the  negroes,  pewter  ones.  These  were  as  large  as  a  silver 
dollar,  having  the  design  of  a  table  with  chalice  and  paten 
and  the  text:  “Do  this  in  remembrance  of  me”  on  one  side 
and  the  Burning  Bush  and  the  legend  “Nec  Tamen  Con- 
sumebatur”  on  the  other,  with  the  words,  “Presbyterian  Church, 
Charleston,  S.  C.”  on  the  edge.  The  negrq  communicants  did 
not  commune  at  the  same  time  as  the  whites,  but  used  the 
same  table.  After  the  white  people  had  finished,  the  negroes 
came  forward  and,  as  there  were  as  many  as  four  hundred 
present,  the  tables  were  filled  and  refilled.  The  beautiful  solid 
silver  Communion  Service  was  the  gift  of  Mrs.  John  Robinson, 
and  Miss  Mure;  the  baptismal  bowl  was  given  in  1866  by  Mrs. 
Sarah  Forrest,  wife  of  Rev.  J.  K.  Forrest,  being  made  of  several 
silver  cups  which  had  belonged  to  her  children  who  had  died 
in  infancy. 

Ihe  records  of  the  First  Church  of  Charleston  were 
burned  during  Sherman’s  raid,  but  undoubtedly,  the  women 
of  the  congregation  formed  a  part  of  the  “Female  Missionary 
Society”  in  which  Presbyterians  and  Congregationalists  joined 
and  of  which  the  first  recorded  gift  was  made,  in  1819.  No 
definite  work  was  assumed  until  1843,  when  the  Ladies’  Sew¬ 
ing  Society  came  into  existence,  with  Mrs.  John  Forrest,  the 
Scottish  pastor’s  wife,  as  president.  Among  the  officers,  we 
notice  that  Miss  Spear  and  Miss  A.  Knox  were  appointed 
“Work  Directresses.” 

Later  on,  this  organization  changed  its  name  to  Ladies’ 
Aid  Society  and  the  constitution  was  amended  to  broaden  its 
activities,  especially  as  concerned  Educational  and  Orphanage 
work. 

During  the  Civil  War,  the  members  did  relief  work  and 


290 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


Inter  on  we  find  them  repairing  the  church  which  had  been 
damaged  by  earthquake  and  cyclone.  In  this  society  we  find 
such  names  as  Mrs.  F.  D.  Bell,  Mrs.  G.  W.  Sprague,  Miss 
Welch  and  Miss  Mure. 

In  its  life  of  seventy-seven  years,  it  has  been  served  by  only 
six  presidents,  three  secretaries  and  two  treasurers,  and  has  cele¬ 
brated  both  its  golden  and  diamond  anniversaries. 

The  Woman’s  Missionary  Society  was  organized  in  1847, 
by  Dr.  John  Forrest,  who  became  its  first  president,  with 
Mrs.  Bennet  as  Vice-President.  The  first  money  collected  was 
sent  to  the  Choctaw  Indians  and  to  Canton,  China.  Of  late 
years,  it  has  contributed  to  the  support  of  at  least  seven  mis¬ 
sionaries. 

In  the  Third  Church  of  Charleston,  there  was  a  Woman’s 
Sewing  Society  as  early  as  1824,  which  did  wonderful  work 
in  educating  young  men  for  the  ministry.  In  the  Globe  Street 
Church,  there  was  a  like  organization  with  the  same  purpose. 

There  were  two  old  Churches  in  Enoree  Presbyterial — 
Nazareth  and  Fair  forest.  Nazareth  was  organized  in  1772, 
and  Fairforest  dates  its  origin  to  some  eight  families  who 
emigrated  from  Pennsylvania  in  1751-54,  having  been  driven 
thither  by  the  fires  of  persecution  in  the  old  world.  These 
churches  had  no  organized  woman’s  work  earlier  than  the 
80’s. 

According  to  an  old  custom  of  the  Scotch  Presbyterians  at 
Fairforest,  lead  letters  were  handed  to  the  members  of  the 
church  a  day  previous  to  the  communion  service  (each  one 
receiving  the  initial  letter  of  the  surname),  and  as  the  sacra¬ 
ment  was  administered,  the  letters  were  collected  by  the  pastor. 
For  more  than  half  a  century,  Rev.  Albert  Allison  James  had 
presided  over  this  church  and  on  the  celebration  of  the  fiftieth 
anniversary  of  his  pastorate,  he  displayed  some  of  the  old 
lead  letters  that  had  been  used  in  past  years. 


SOUTH  CAROLINA 


291 


Zion  Church,  Winnsboro,  was  built  in  1809,  and  with 
but  few  changes  has  been  used  for  112  years.  In  1819  the  Fe¬ 
male  Missionary  Society  of  Zion  Church  was  organized  as  an 
Auxiliary  to  the  Foreign  Missionary  Society  of  the  American 
Board.  At  this  same  time,  there  also  existed  the  Auxiliary 
Bible  Society  of  Fairfield  District. 

As  early  as  1817,  it  is  recorded  that  the  women  of  this 
church  joined  with  the  women  of  Salem  Church,  in  Fairfield 
County,  in  making  their  pastor,  Rev.  Anthony  W.  Ross,  a 
life  member  of  the  American  Bible  Society. 

One  item  is  found  in  the  Darlington  Church  book,  dated 
May,  1833,  which  reads  as  follows:  “At  the  request  of  the 
female  members  of  the  church,  the  funds  raised  by  them  for 
ceiling  the  church  building,  were  made  subject  to  such  dis¬ 
position  as  the  church  might  think  proper  to  make  of  them.” 
Soon  after  the  war,  appears  this  statement:  “Funds  were 
raised  and  turned  over  to  the  Deacons  and  invested  in  the 
first  stoves  ever  bought.”  It  was  not  until  1870  that  there 
was  any  formal  organization  among  the  women.  In  that  year, 
Rev.  J.  G.  Law  formed  the  Ladies’  Aid  Society  and  later 
the  Pauline  DuBose  Missionary  Society  came  into  existence. 
Miss  Janie  Williamson  was  the  most  enthusiastic  missionary 
worker  in  the  Darlington  Church,  holding  an  office  continu¬ 
ously,  and  doing  the  work  of  a  secretary  of  literature  long 
before  that  office  was  created.  In  honor  of  her  faithfulness, 
a  friend  has  built  a  chapel  in  the  North  Kiangsu  Mission, 
China,  and  named  it  the  “Janie  R.  Williamson  Chapel.” 

The  earliest  account  of  Women’s  Societies  in  the  Inde¬ 
pendent  Presbyterian  Church  of  Stoney  Creek,  dates  back  to 
1845.  The  first  work  undertaken  was  the  support  of  two 
children  in  the  Indian  Mission.  Contributions  were  also 
made  to  the  Indian  Mission,  as  carried  on  by  Rev.  Mr.  Wright 
and  his  wife,  Harriet.  This  Society  also  gave  to  Foreign  Mis¬ 
sions  and  was  conducted  like  the  modern  mission  study  class 


292 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


under  the  leadership  of  the  pastor,  Rev.  James  Dunwoody. 
We  find  the  women  of  the  congregation,  as  a  matter  of  course, 
aiding  their  pastors  in  earnest  work  among  the  slaves. 

In  1834,  Richland  Church  (Piedmont  Presbytery),  was 
built  on  two  lots  of  ground,  given  by  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Dendy 
for  Church-House  and  Cemetery.  It  was  made  of  hewn 
logs  fastened  together  with  wooden  pegs.  The  Striblings,  in 
Presbyterial  service  today,  are  descendants  of  Mrs.  Dendy. 

A  member  of  Mt.  Zion  Church,  Mrs.  D.  M.  Craighas,  en¬ 
joys  the  great  honor  of  having  given  her  two  sons,  Roy  and 
Augustus,  to  China’s  mission  field. 

THE  FIRST  CHURCH  OF  COLUMBIA  (CONGAREE 

PRESBYTERY.) 

In  the  year  1794,  the  Presbyterians  of  Columbia  called 
their  first  pastor,  Rev.  David  Dunlap,  who  served  until  his 
death  in  1804.  Mr.  Dunlap  and  his  wife,  Susannah,  died 
on  the  same  day  and  were  buried  in  the  same  grave.  The 
deaths  of  these  young  people,  one  thirty-three  and  the  other 
thirty,  caused  a  sorrow  which  stretched  over  the  century. 

In  viewing  the  work  of  the  women  from  the  beginning 
of  this  church,  during  a  period  of  seventy  years,  it  is  well 
to  contemplate  the  manner  of  womanhood  of  those  early  days. 

Woman,  of  whatsoever  class  of  society,  was  industrious, 
capable,  modest,  one  who  looked  diligently  after  the  ways  of 
her  household.  Her  duties  were  manifold.  Every  garment  had 
to  be  made  at  home,  all  food  was  produced  on  the  place;  upon 
the  woman  rested  the  care  and  education  of  the  children;  the 
responsibility  of  the  servants  devolved  upon  her.  The  physi¬ 
cal  well-being,  industrial  training  and  religious  instruction  of 
these  servants  were  looked  upon  by  the  Christian  woman  as 
obligations  from  God. 

They  were  always  interested  in  good  works;  the  earliest 
chartered  societies  of  the  country  bear  the  names  of  members 
of  this  church. 


SOUTH  CAROLINA  . 


293 


The  Ladies’  Orphan  Society  was  founded  in  1830  and 
is  still  in  existence.  The  Ladies’  Benevolent  Association, 
founded  in  1832,  was  merged  into  the  Associated  Charities 
in  1900,  taking  into  that  Association  $8,000.00. 

The  Theological  Seminary  has,  from  its  beginning  in 
1830,  been  a  special  object  of  work  among  the  women  of 
First  Church  of  Columbia.  The  Law  Building  was  named 
in  honor  of  Mrs.  Agnes  Law,  who  was  the  chief  contributor 
to  its  construction. 

WOMAN’S  WORK  DURING  THE  WAR  BETWEEN 

THE  STATES. 

In  *the  early  history  of  Peedee,  the  Aid  Societies  were 
something  more  than  organizations  for  raising  money;  they 
were  local  missionary  agencies,  looking  after  the  poor,  pro¬ 
viding  social  life,  and  giving  to  outside  calls  as  presented. 

The  first  one  of  these  Aid  Societies  dating  back  to  the 
sixties,  was  in  the  old  Hopewell  Church,  at  Claussen,  S.  C. 
When  the  .South  was  the  scene  of  bloody  war,  it  was  organized 
to  provide  clothes  and  provisions  for  the  men  at  the  front 
Women  of  all  denominations  for  miles  around  composed  this 
Ladies’  Aid  Society  and  the  meetings  were  held  in  the  old 
Session  House.  This  work  for  the  soldiers  laid  the  founda¬ 
tion  for  Aid  and  Missionary  Societies  later  on. 

In  the  First  Church  of  Columbia,  the  activities  of  the 
women  were  absorbed  in  “The  Wayside  Hospital,”  where 
hundreds  of  wounded  soldiers  were  brought  from  distant  bat¬ 
tlefields.  Two  women  who  will  long  be  remembered,  are 
Mrs.  Sarah  Howe  and  Mrs.  Sarah  Peck. 

Mrs.  Howe  was  a  foremost  leader  in  the  hospital  work. 
Her  hospitality  was  unbounded  and  charming.  Her  home 
v/as  one  of  the  hallowed  spots  of  the  church.  It  has  enter¬ 
tained  (it  is  hardly  an  exaggeration  to  say),  every  missionary 
of  the  Southern  Church  from  1832  to  1880  and  a  host  of  in- 


294 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


tellectual  giants.  Among  these  guests  we  note  Dr.  Leighton 
Wilson,  Dr.  Thomas  Goulding,  so  dear  to  the  hearts  of  many 
generations  of  children  because  of  his  book,  “The  Young 
Marooners,”  her  distinguished  son-in-law,  Dr.  B.  M.  Palmer, 
the  brilliant  scholar,  Dr.  Joseph  P.  Wilson,  and  his  son, 
Woodrow  Wilson.  The  crown  of  the  household  was  the  dis¬ 
tinguished  son,  George  Howe,  D.  D.  It  was  a  meeting  place 
for  loved  women;  Mittie  Bullock,  mother  of  Theodore  Roose¬ 
velt,  was  a  distant  relative  and  often  an  honored  guest. 

Mrs.  Sarah  Peck  was  a  most  remarkable  Christian  teacher. 
It  is  said  of  her  that  she  taught  three  generations  of  Colum¬ 
bians  to  read  and  write.  During  the  War  Between  the  States 
three  widows  met  for  one  hour  every  Tuesday,  when  they 
were  in  Columbia,  and  asked  God  to  spare  their  sons  in 
battle.  Each  had  a  son  in  the  army,  and  two  were  only  sons. 
The  three  men,  Maj.  Wm,  D.  Peck,  James  P.  Macfie,  and 
Lieut.  John  T.  Rhett,  went  through  the  war  unscathed. 

On  the  northwest  corner  of  Lady  and  Marion  Streets  was 
Ihe  home  of  Mr.  Marion  Crawford,  an  elder  who  became  the 
custodian  of  the  silver  communion  service  of  the  First  Church, 
Columbia.  The  night  before  Sherman  entered  the  city,  Mr. 
Crawford  and  his  wife,  Mary,  dug  up  the  fireplace  in  their 
dining  room,  which  was  on  the  ground  floor,  and  buried  the 
silver.  The  home  was  looted  and  burned.  When  it  was  safe 
to  do  so,  the  silver,  was  salvaged,  unhurt,  save  for  a  few  blisters 
on  the  goblets,  caused  by  the  heat.  The  four  goblets  were  used 
until,  in  Dr.  Blackwood’s  pastorate,  the  individual  cups  were 
introduced,  but  the  two  bread  baskets  are  still  doing  duty. 

The  year  1860  marked  a  change  such  as  few  people  have 
ever  undergone;  an  upheaval  in  home  life  and  a  change  of 
inherited  customs.  It  was  to  the  churcn  women  of  the  old 
regime  that  the  State  owed  its  rehabilitation.  Through  the 
calmness,  courage  and  faithfulness  of  the  Christian  women, 
the  light  of  faith  was  kept  burning.  Years  of  penury  and 


SOUTH  CAROLINA 


295 


want  were  at  hand.  Each  divided  with  the  other,  and  the 
widows  and  orphans  were  cared  for. 

A  lady  who  had  been  very  wealthy,  said:  “I  never  doubt 
God  takes  care  of  me.  On  one  occasion,  when  I  lacked,  I 
earnestly  prayed,  and  upon  going  into  a  vacant  room,  I  found 
food:  coffee,  sugar,  flour.  An  angel  brought  it.”  The  writer 
of  this  incident  says  that  her  father’s  comment  was:  “Yes, 
and  old  Mrs.  Howe  was  the  angel.” 

The  Communion  silver  of  Second  Presbyterian  Church, 
Charleston,  the  gift  of  Mrs.  John  Robinson  early  in  the 
history  of  the  congregation,  was  sent  to  Columbia  for  safety 
when  Charleston  was  shelled  by  the  Federal  Navy.  There 
it  was  stored  in  an  outbuilding  on  the  premises  of  Rev.  George 
Howe,  who  had  not  been  informed  as  to  its  nature.  In  the 
excitement  of  Sherman’s  raid,  it  was  forgotten,  and  the  con¬ 
gregation  thought  it  was  gone,  but  a  year  after  the  close  of 
the  War,  it  was  found  and  returned  in  perfect  order. 

Prior  to  the  Civil  War,  we  have  no  record  of  woman’s 
work  in  Piedmont  Presbyterial,  but  in  the  60’s  in  the  First 
Presbyterian  Church  of  Anderson,  a  society  was  formed  to 
work  for  the  soldiers.  Later  on,  all  the  churches  united  in 
this  labor,  and  the  wife  of  Judge  Monroe  became  president. 

POST-WAR  REORGANIZATION. 

To  the  First  Church  of  Columbia  there  came,  in  1868, 
Mrs.  Douglas  Plummer,  a  woman  of  ten  talents.  She  held 
Bible  Classes,  Sewing  Societies  and  Prayer  Meetings.  She 
anticipated  the  twentieth  century  methods,  so  aggressive,  so 
business-like,  so  brilliant  was  she  in  her  intercourse  with  the 
church. 

Confined  to  the  bed  most  of  the  time,  yet  she  instructed 
and  directed.  She  helped  to  plan  a  “George  Washington  Tea 
Party,”  at  which  the  sum  of  $999.00  was  raised  for  the  building 
of  a  chapel.  Dr.  Pryson,  the  pastor,  added  a  dollar,  making  it 
an  even  thousand.  The  next  week,  a  tornado  blew  down  the 


296 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


steeple  of  the  church  and  the  money  had  to  go  to  repair  this 
damage  and  the  chapel  came  later.  To  Mrs.  Plummer  is  due 
the  inauguration  of  the  social  meetings  of  the  Church — the 
Dime  Readings.  Do  not  smile  at  the  name!  These  were 
held  weekly  during  the  winter  months  in  the  homes  of  the 
church  and  furnished  wholesome  recreation  for  our  young 
people  who  were  eager  to  attend  them. 

Mrs.  M.  M.  Flenniken  served  for  many  years  as  Presi¬ 
dent  of  the  Woman’s  Society  and  was  foremost  in  promoting 
the  building  of  Smith  Memorial  Chapel.  Due  to  her  courage 
end  conception,  many  public  good  works  are  in  our  midst; 
notably,  the  Columbia  Hospital. 

Mrs.  Elie  Baker  Woodrow  deeded  the  lot  on  which  stands 
the  present  Y.  M.  C.  A.  building.  In  olden  times,  the  streets 
were  dark  near  the  church,  and  when  electric  lights  came  into 
use,  Mrs.  Woodrow  caused  a  light  to  be  placed  at  the  north¬ 
west  corner  of  the  church  yard.  Now  that  she  is  a  shut-in, 
she  smiles  and  says:  “I  am  so  glad  my  light  shines  to  light 
other  people  to  prayer  meeting,  and  I  have  made  provision  in 
my  will  that  it  shall  shine  for  many  years  to  come.”  Mrs. 
Woodrow  is  the  mother  of  the  missionary  to  China,  Mrs. 
Jennie  Woodrow  Woodbridge. 

CHURCH  ORGANIZATION  IN  WHICH  WOMAN  WAS 

THE  PRIME  FACTOR 

The  first  effort  to  secure  Presbyterian  preaching  in  Green¬ 
ville — Enoree  Presbytery,  was  made  by  Mrs.  Sarah  E.  Stone, 
who  induced  her  friend,  Dr.  Benjamin  Palmer  to,  spend  the 
summer  of  1845  in  the  village  and  minister  to  the  spiritual 
needs  of  the  people,  for  which  purpose  she  raised  $68.00. 
Later,  the  women  sent  a  request  to  Presbytery  for  religious 
services  and  this  led  to  the  organization  of  the  First  Presby¬ 
terian  Church  of  Greenville. 

The  second  Presbyterian  Church  of  Greenville  owes  its 
existence  by  the  help  of  God,  to  the  efforts  of  nine  women, 


SOUTH  CAROLINA 


297 


who,  on  August  1st,  1890,  met  in  the  home  of  Mrs.  R.  E. 
Allen  to  engage  in  some  united  form  of  church  or  benevolent 
work.  The  result  was  the  organization  of  “The  Ladies  Work¬ 
ing  Society,”  the  object  of  which  was  the  building  of  a  house 
of  worship.  In  three  years’  time  this  dream  became  a  reality; 
a  small  church  was  erected. 

Edgefield  Church,  Congaree  Presbytery,  owes  its  exist¬ 
ence  to  Mrs.  Martha  Wardlaw  Hill,  through  whose  efforts 
an  organization  was  effected.  There  were  only  four  members, 
Mrs.  Hill,  herself,  Mrs.  A.  E.  Anderson,  Miss  Esther  Rains- 
ford  and  Mr.  S.  H.  Manget.  The  latter  was  immediately 
elected  and  installed  as  elder  and  Mrs.  Hill  acted  as  deacon 
for  some  ^ears.  Mrs.  Hill's  wonderful  magnetism  and  beauty 
of  spirit  drew  many  friends  to  her  assistance.  She  solicited 
subscriptions  far  and  wide  and  raised  over  $3,000.00.  She 
organized  a  Sunday-school  and  when  no  man  was  available, 
was  her  own  superintendent,  her  own  organist,  her  own  jani¬ 
tor,  and  at  the  same  time  served  as  the  whole  board  of  deacons. 
In  May,  1882,  through  her  efforts,  the  first  pastor  was  called, 
our  own  Secretary  of  Assembly’s  Home  Missions,  Rev.  S.  L. 
Morris.  As  soon  as  this  good  woman  lifted  all  debt  from  the 
church,  she  began  to  dream  of  a  manse.  Miss  Esther  Rains- 
ford  (Mrs.  Bunyan  Morris),  gave  the  lot  for  this  manse  and 
the  communion  service  as  well. 

Mrs.  Hill  began  teaching  music  and  doing  everything 
she  could  to  create  a  manse  fund.  To  make  a  long  story 
short,  the  manse  became  an  assured  fact.  At  the  age  of 
fifty-two,  she  went  Home,  and  on  the  walls  of  the  church  which 
stands  as  a  memorial  to  her,  the  women  placed  a  tablet,  on 
which  she  is  called  “The  Mother  of  Presbyterianism  in  Edge- 
field  County.” 

From  Edgefield  Church  comes  the  writer,  Mrs.  W.  L. 
Dunovant,  the  “E.  A.  D.,”  so  well  known  to  the  readers  of 
the  Club  Woman’s  page  in  The  State  (Columbia,  $.  C.) 

The  Trenton  Church,  South  Carolina,  for  a  long  time 


298 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


had  only  five  members,  four  of  whom  were  women,  Mesdames 
Esther  Rainsford  Morris,  Emma  Brown  Horde,  Emily  Hughes 
Wise  and  Callie  Mayes  Wise.  The  church  was  built  by  con- 
otributions  from  Presbyterians  throughout  the  State,  which  were 
solicited  by  these  women. 

The  first  movement  toward  the  building  of  St.  Mat¬ 
thew’s  Church  was  the  forming  of  a  Ladies’  Aid  Society,  in 
1905.  The  charter  members  of  this  organization  were:  Miss 
Ella  Salley,  Mrs.  C.  R.  James  and  Mrs.  W.  W.  Oliver.  The 
Society  immediately  began  to  raise  funds  by  making  and 
selling  aprons  and  other  articles.  They  determined  to  form  a 
Presbyterian  Sunday-school  and  later  a  church.  The  work 
soon  bore  fruit,  and  in  1906,  a  Presbyterian  Church  was  or¬ 
ganized.  Faithful  service  and  ten  years’  effort  were  rewarded 
on  July  19th,  1916,  by  the  burning  of  a  mortgage  and  the 
dedication  of  a  church  building  costing  $3,800.00,  raised  al¬ 
most  entirely  by  women. 

WORK  FOR  YOUNG  PEOPLE. 

Although  a  Sunday-school  cannot  properly  be  classed  as 
a  woman’s  organization,  it  is  only  fair  to  mention  the  women 
who  have  served  as  “Female  Superintendents”  in  the  early 
work  of  the  Second  Presbyterian  Church  of  Charleston.  The 
first  listed  is  Mrs.  Isaac  Johnson,  with  Miss  Anne  Caldwell 
as  assistant.  After  the  war  between  the  States,  this  office  was 
continued,  and  for  many  years  was  held  by  Miss  Anna  , Simon  - 
ton;  Miss  Sarah  A.  Smyth  also  served  in  this  capacity. 

In  1832,  the  “Charleston  Juvenile  Missionary  Society” 
was  formed  under  the  leadership  of  Dr.  Smythe;  this  society 
was  most  active — published  a  little  magazine,  and  voted  its 
first  collection  for  work  in  China,  thus  beginning  the  labors 
of  this  church  for  that  country.  In  connection  with  this 
society  we  find  the  names  of  Miss  A.  N.  Allen  and  Mrs. 
Stoney. 

The  Threadneedle  Society,  of  the  Second  Presbyterian 


SOUTH  CAROLINA  299 

Church,  Charleston,  composed  of  young  girls,  made  garments 
for  distribution  among  the  very  poor  of  the  city.  The  first 
president  was  Miss  Lida  King  (Mrs.  Tiedman). 

The  Willing  Workers  was  an  organization  of  the  young 
women  of  the  First  Presbyterian  Church  of  York  (Bethel  Pres¬ 
bytery),  and  was  the  thought  of  Miss  Jenny  Code,  now  Mrs. 
J.  H.  Timmie.  Among  the  gifts  of  this  society,  we  notice  that 
a  gold  watch  was  presented  to  Miss  Ella  Davidson  when  she 
started  for  the  foreign  field,  and  on  her  first  furlough,  she 
was  given  a  black  silk  dress.  The  society  started  the  plan  of 
taking  a  Christmas  dinner  to  the  Countv  Home,  which  custom 
has  been  kept  up  to  the  present  time.  They  also  bought  the 
town  clock  and  had  it  placed  in  the  court  house. 

In  1895,  when  Mrs.  H.  Stuart  was  home  on  furlough, 
she  organized  twenty  girls  in  this  same  church,  into  the  Ella 
Davidson  Missionary  Society.  Miss  Georgia  Witherspoon  was 
made  president  and  the  first  work  undertaken  was  the  sup¬ 
port  of  a  Chinese  girl  in  Miss  Davidson's  school. 

EARLY  GROWTH  OF  CHURCH  SOCIETIES. 

Miss  Ida  Dudley,  Historian  for  woman's  work  in  Ben- 
nettsville,  draws  a  sketch  of  the  early  days  of  organization 
in  which  many  a  woman  will  recognize  her  own  portrait.  She 
says:  “If  this  is  to  be  a  record  of  woman's  work  only,  we 
shall  disappoint  at  the  very  beginning,  for  our  missionary 
societv  owes  its  organization  to  a  man — Rev.  W.  D.  Corbett, 
pastor  of  Bennettsville  Church.  It  was  the  first  Sunday  in 
March,  1SS8,  that  he  asked  from  the  pulpit  that  the  women 
of  the  church  remain  for  a  few  minutes  after  the  service.  A 
verv  creditable  number — old  and  young — responded  to  the  call. 
As  charter  members,  we  recall  the  solemn,  almost  terrified  feel- 
in<r  we  all  had,  assembled  on  the  front  seats  of  the  old  church, 
thinking  there  was  not  anything  in  the  world  we  women  could 
do  by  ourselves.  Mr.  Corbett  explained  the  purpose  of  the 
meeting  and  presented  a  printed  constitution  from  the  Execu- 


300 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


live  Committee  of  Foreign  Missions.  Fifteen  of  us  timid  women 
signed  our  names  agreeing  to  give  at  least  ten  cents  a  month 
to  Foreign  Missions.  Our  first  President  was  Mrs.  J.  B.  Jen¬ 
nings.  Our  meetings — brief,  stiff  and  timid,  were  always  held 
in  the  church  after  service,  for  the  women  had  not  yet  learned 
to  lead  in  prayer  and  our  pastor  was  indispensable  for  that 
part  of  the  service.  We  read  in  the  old  record  book  the  annual 
report,  “Ten  meetings  were  held,  the  other  two  omitted  on 
account  of  the  illness  of  the  pastor.”  Miss  Dudley  writes:  “It 
will  always  be  a  cause  of  thankfulness  that  we  once  had  Mrs. 
F.  Louise  Mayes  as  a  member  and  President  of  our  society. 
It  was  she  w7ho  led  off  in  audible  prayer  and  encouraged  the 
hesitant  ones  to  try.” 

Foreign  Missions  has  always  been  an  important  part  of 
the  life  of  the  Second  Presbyterian  Church  of  Charleston.  In¬ 
deed,  this  church  boasted  of  a  “Gentleman’s  Missionary  So¬ 
ciety”  in  the  early  days  as  well  as  one  for  the  women.  The 
latter  was  organized  by  Miss  Adger,  afterwards  Mrs.  Thomas 
Smyth. 

In  1888  Miss  Essie  Wilson,  a  member  of  this  church, 
offered  herself  for  the  work  in  China.  A  few  years  later  she 
married  Rev.  P.  F.  Price  and  a  new  mission  was  opened  up 
in  Sinchang.  The  interest  of  the  missionary  society  centered 
upon  this  work.  It  sent  funds  which  Mrs.  Price  used  in  fit¬ 
ting  up  a  dispensary;  in  establishing  an  industrial  school  and 
in  purchasing  a  house-boat. 

UNIQUE  LEGACY. 

A  colored  communicant  of  the  Second  Church  of  Charles¬ 
ton,  Maria  Moore,  gave  eight  shares  of  Bank  of  South  Caro¬ 
lina  stock  to  be  used  for  work  in  Africa.  The  next  year,  1849, 
she  gave  three  lots  of  land,  the  income  of  which  was  to  go  to 
Foreign  Missions. 

ELLEN  KING  MEMORIAL  FUND. 

The  Foreign  Missionary  Society  of  Westminster  Church 


SOUTH  CAROLINA 


501 


(Charleston  Presbytery),  had  Miss  Susan  B.  Adger  for  its 
first  president.  For  many  years  this  society  supported  twelve 
girls  in  Mrs.  Randolph’s  school  at  Hangchow,  China.  A  legacy 
of  $2,000.00  was  left  to  the  organization  by  Miss  Ellen  King. 
With  it  has  been  established  the  Ellen  King  Memorial  Fund, 
the  income  of  which  goes  to  the  school  at  Hangchow. 

JOHN  WATKINS  ACADEMY  FOR  BOYS  IN  KOREA. 

Shortly  after  his  graduation,  Mr.  J.  Fairman  Preston  was 
sent  to  the  Spartanburg  Church  in  the  interests  of  what  was 
known  as  the  Forward  Movement.  His  stirring  appeal  led 
the  church  to  assume  his  support  in  Korea,  and  the  beloved 
Dr.  Watkins,  minister  in  charge,  always  spoke  of  him  as  “Our 
Foreign  Pastor.”  On  one  of  Mr.  Preston’s  furloughs,  he  ad¬ 
dressed  the  Spartanburg  Church,  telling  of  the  great  need  of 
a  boy’s  school  in  Mokpo,  but  saying  that  he  would  not  ask  the 
people  for  the  money,  as  they  were  already  burdened.  One  of 
the  members,  Mrs.  H.  E.  Ravenel,  resolved  before  leaving  the 
church  that  she  would  do  all  that  she  could  towards  rais¬ 
ing  the  $2,000.00  necessary  for  the  erection  of  the  building. 

In  two  days’  time  she  was  able  to  tell  Mr.  Preston  that 
the  money  was  in  hand  to  build  the  school.  Mrs.  John  Simp¬ 
son  suggested  that  it  should  have  the  name  of  Dr.  Watkins  as 
a  memorial  of  love  borne  him  by  his  congregation.  Thus  came 
into  being  the  “John  Watkins  Academy  for  Boys,”  in  Mokpo. 

The  first  woman’s  society  in  Clinton  (South  Carolina  Pres¬ 
bytery),  was  organized  in  1861  and  was  called  the  Earnest 
Workers.  Its  objects  were  pastor’s  aid  and  missionary  work. 

Mrs.  W.  P.  Jacobs  was  the  first  President.  The  Society 
worked  untiringly  for  the  Thornwell  Orphanage.  The  ladies 
met  once  a  month  and  after  the  business  was  completed,  spent 
the  whole  afternoon  in  cutting  out  children’s  garments,  which 
they  took  home  to  finish.  They  did  all  the  sewing  for  the 
Institution  for  many  years.  The  Thornwell  Orphanage  Aid 
Society  of  Abbeville  Church  engaged  in  similar  work. 


302 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


It  is  interesting  to  recall  some  of  the  resolutions  upon 
which  some  of  our  early  societies  were  built.  The  Missionary 
Society  of  First  Presbyterian  Church  of  York  (Bethel  Presby¬ 
tery ),  was  organized  in  1875  with  Mrs.  A.  H.  McPheeters  as 
President.  The  following  resolutions  were  adopted: 

I.  Resolved — This  Society  meet  at  the  Presbyterian  Church 
on  the  second  Monday  in  each  month  at  4  P.  M. 

II.  To  be  opened  with  the  reading  of  a  chapter  from  the 
Scripture  and  prayer. 

III.  The  roll  to  be  called  and  absentees  noted  and  called 
on  at  the  next  meeting  for  their  excuse. 

IV.  There  shall  be  a  mite  box  and  each  person  shall 
put  therein  any  amount  she  thinks  proper  and  feels  able  to 
give. 

V.  That  at  each  meeting  someone  be  appointed  to  read 
something  in  relation  to  missions,  etc. 

LADIES’  BIBLE  CLASS. 

In  1915,  a  group  of  women  of  the  First  Presbyterian 
Church  of  York  met  and  organized  a  Tuesday  Morning  Bible 
Class.  Miss  Margaret  Gist  was  chosen  leader  and  from  her 
wide  reading  in  sacred  and  secular  literature,  much  help¬ 
ful  material  has  been  brought  to  the  class.  Mrs.  S.  M.  Me¬ 
l's  eel  offered  her  home  for  the  meetings  and  with  but  two 
exceptions,  this  class  has  met  every  Tuesday  morning  for  seven 
years.  This  class  is  distinctive  in  the  following  respects :  There 
is  absolutely  no  constitution,  no  fees,  no  fines  and  never  any 
refreshments.  The  study  class  is  held  together  by  the  simple 
desire  to  study  the  Word. 

BIBLE  CLASS  FOR  COLORED  WOMEN. 

Miss  Margaret  Gist  and  Mrs.  McNeel  organized  a  Bible 
Class  for  colored  women,  the  object  being  to  train  leaders 
to  teach  in  their  own  Sunday  Schools.  The  influence  of  this 


SOUTH  CAROLINA 


303 


work  is  felt  in  the  community.  For  several  years,  individual 
women  have  paid  the  expenses  of  two  of  these  colored  women 
to  the  Atlanta  and  Tuscaloosa  Conferences. 

The  Auxiliary  of  Blacksburg  Church  (Bethel  Presbytery) 
does  a  fine  work  among  the  negroes.  Mrs.  W.  A.  Metts,  the 
President,  has  a  sewing  class  for  negro  girls  and  different 
members  of  the  society  conduct  a  Union  Bible  Class  for  negroes. 

PRAYER  BANDS. 

In  1890  thirty-four  women  met  in  the  Presbyterian  Manse 
and  formed  the  Ladies'  Foreign  Missionary  Society  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church  of  Yorkville  (Bethel  Presbytery).  Some 
idea  of  the  spiritual  atmosphere  of  the  early  meetings  of  this 
group  may  be  gained  by  a  study  of  the  Minutes.  At  the 
first  meeting,  the  members  pledged  themselves  to  spend  five 
minutes  daily  in  prayer  for  our  foreign  mission  work.  Later 
on  we  find  a  request  from  one  of  its  members,  Miss  Ella  David¬ 
son,  that  the  hour  from  five  to  six  on  Sunday  afternoon  be 
observed  as  an  hour  of  prayer.  The  outstanding  date  of  this 
Society  was  August,  1891,  when  Miss  Ella  Davidson,  a  charter 
member,  went  to  China  as  a  missionary  and  the  Yorkville 
church  assumed  her  support.  As  a  member  of  the  society, 
Miss  Davidson  was  its  greatest  inspiration. 

The  Prayer  Band  of  the  women  of  Greenwood  Church 
(South  Carolina  Presbytery),  was  organized  by  Dr.  Guerrant 
more  than  twenty  years  ago,  and  has  continued  its  record  of 
weekly  meetings  without  a  break  up  to  the  present  time. 

WILLIE  MOORE  TRAINING  SCHOOL  FOR  BIBLE 

WOMEN. 

The  year  1906  marks  the  going  Home  of  the  President  of 
the  Yorkville  Society,  Mrs.  Willie  McCorkle  Moore.  As  a 
memorial  to  this  beautiful  consecrated  life,  the  Foreign  Mis¬ 
sionary  organization  joined  with  the  Ella  C.  Davidson  Society 
in  eivimr  the  necessary  funds  to  establish  a  Bible  Woman’s 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


304 

Training  School  at  Kiangyin,  China,  to  be  in  charge  of  Mrs. 
Ella  Davidson  Little,  and  to  bear1  the  name  of  Mrs.  Moore. 

VOLUNTARY  CONTRIBUTIONS  ALONE, 

Throughout  the  history  of  woman’s  work  in  Arsenal  Hill 
Presbyterian  Church,  Columbia,  a  successful  stand  has  been 
made  against  any  method  of  raising  money  other  than  by 
voluntary  contributions. 

PRESBYTERIAL  ORGANIZATION. 

Enoree  Presbyterial,  1889. 

The  year  1889  marks  the  beginning  of  our  present  Enoree 
Presbyterial  Auxiliary,  for  it  was  early  in  that  year  that  God 
put  into  the  heart  of  Dr.  John  S.  Watkins,  pastor  of  the  First 
Presbyterian  Church  of  Spartanburg,  the  thought  of  combining 
woman’s  work  for  Foreign  Missions.  Suiting  the  action  to 
the  thought,  he,  with  some  other  ministers,  made  an  appeal  to 
the  women  which  resulted  in  the  organization  of  the  Woman’s 
Foreign  Missionary  Union.  Mrs.  John  S.  Watkins  undertook 
the  initial  work,  writing  letters  to  every  church  in  the  Pres¬ 
bytery.  A  meeting  was  planned  to  be  held  in  the  Spartanburg 
Church,  but  a  few  days  before  the  appointed  time,  the  building 

j'. 

was  destroyed  by  fire,  leaving  only  a  blackened  Sunday-school 
room.  Spring  floods  followed  in  sad  succession,  but  with  ardor 
nothing  dampened,  a  few  stout  hearted  women  met  in  en¬ 
thusiastic  conference  and  drew  up  a  constitution  for  the  Union 
Mrs.  G.  W.  Taylor  was  made  the  first  President.  The  liber¬ 
ality  and  sympathetic  co-operation  of  Mrs.  C.  E.  Graham 
was  then,  as  now,  a  most  important  factor  in  the  success  of 
the  undertaking. 

The  Missionary  Union  prepared  the  way  for  Enoree  Pres 
byterial  Auxiliary. 

Origin  of  Enoree  Home. 

The  first  definite  work  aside  from  that  outlined  by  the 
constitution,  was  the  opening  of  the  Haichow  Mission,  in  1905 


SOUTH  CAROLINA 


305 


This  came  as  answer  to  an  appeal  made  by  Dr.  Junkin  for 
ihe  15,000,000  people  in  that  territory  who  had  never  heard 
of  Jesus.  Mrs.  Hancock  was  sent  there  as  the  first  missionary, 
but  when  her  health  failed  the  Executive  Committee  suggested 
that  the  funds  subscribed  should  be  put  into  a  home  for  mis¬ 
sionaries  at  Haichow.  As  a  mark  of  appreciation  of  this 
work,  the  committee  called  the  building  “Enoree  Home.” 

Origin  of  Ellen  Lavine  Graham  Hospital. 

During  the  Spring  of  1911,  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Morgan,  return¬ 
ing  from  Haichow,  brought  with  them  an  urgent  appeal  for 
a  hospital.  They  cited  many  heart-breaking  instances  of 
suffering  because  of  lack  of  medical  equipment,  stating  that 
there  was  not  so  much  as  an  operating  table  on  the  field. 

News  had  just  come  that,  owing  to  certain  conditions  in 
China,  a  most  desirable,  long-coveted  site  for  a  hospital  was 
now  within  reach.  It  was  decided  after  consultation  with  Dr. 
Chester,  to  buy  the  site.  Today,  on  that  ground  stands  the 
Ellen  Lavine  Hospital,  built  by  Mr.  and  Mrs.  C.  E.  Graham, 
as  a  memorial  to  their  daughter.  The  Enoree  Presbyterial 
maintains  the  support  of  a  nurse  there. 

County  Missionary  Institutes. 

With  her  keen  intuition  and  consecrated  head  and  heart, 
our  lamented  Mrs.  W.  W.  Simpson,  of  Woodruff,  realized 
what  valuable  assets  county  missionary  institutes  would  be 
and  she  left  no  stone  unturned  to  organize  and  promote  their 
growth  throughout  the  Presbyterial.  With  Mrs.  Simpson  origi¬ 
nated  the  idea  of  a  meeting  of  all  the  women  of  the  South¬ 
ern  Presbyterian  Church  at  Montreat. 

Bethel  Presbyterial,  1899. 

“The  Woman’s  Foreign  Missionary  Union”  of  Bethel 
Presbytery  was  organized  in  the  First  Presbyterian  Church  of 
Yorkville,  September  14th,  1899.  Presbytery  did  not  see  fit 


306 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


to  grant  permission  to  form  a  Union  when  first  requested  in 
1892. 

The  Committee  to  which  it  was  referred,  Rev.  D.  T.  Mc¬ 
Alister,  Chairman,  reported  favorably,  and  in  the  following 
kindly  manner. 

1st.  In  the  papers  presented  to  Presbytery,  we  find  noth¬ 
ing  objectionable. 

2nd.  That  the  end  in  view  and  the  motives  prompting  it 
seem  to  be  the  noblest  conceivable,  viz. :  To  win  souls  and 
to  send  abroad  the  Gospel  for  the  glory  of  God. 

3rd.  We  recommend  that  theh  request  of  these  elect  ladies 
be  granted,  with  such  admonitions  and  warnings  as  Presbytery 
may  suggest. 

However,  Presbytery  was  not  ready  for  the  question  and 
it  was  not  until  1899  that  the  request  was  granted.  In  the 
spring  of  that  year,  the  Missionary  Society  of  the  First  Pres¬ 
byterian  Church  of  Yorkville,  again  moved  in  the  matter,  this 
time  with  success.  In  the  fall  of  1899  letters  from  this  society 
were  sent  out  to  the  pastors  of  the  churches  in  Bethel  Presbytery 
asking  that  Foreign  Missionary  Societies  send  delegates  to  York¬ 
ville  to  organize  a  Union.  Eighteen  delegates  and  many  in¬ 
terested  visitors  attended  the  meeting  in  the  First  Presbyterian 
Church,  Yorkville,  and  with  Mrs.  J.  J.  Hunter  in  the  chair, 
the  Foreign  Missionary  Union  of  Bethel  Presbytery  was  form¬ 
ally  organized.  Mrs.  Robert  Lindsay,  of  Yorkville,  was  made 
President.  Then  followed  years  when  the  Union  struggled  for 
existence.  Many  questioned  the  need  for  it,  and  there  were 
some  in  the  ranks  who  honestly  doubted  whether  the  results 
justified  the  annual  meeting.  But  there  were  always  a  faith¬ 
ful  few  who  stood  by  during  this  period  of  discouragement 
and  refused  either  to  leave  or  give  up  the  ship. 

In  October,  1911,  the  name  was  changed  to  the  Woman’s 
Missionary  Union,  and  in  1915  became  the  Bethel  Presbyte- 
r j  al.  The  characteristics  of  Bethel  Presbyterial  today  are  large 


SOUTH  CAROLINA 


30? 


attendance  at  the  meetings,  loyalty  to  officers  and  programs  and 
intelligence  and  enthusiasm  on  the  part  of  the  members. 

Piedmont  and  South  Carolina  Presbyterials,  1900. 

In  April,  1900,  representatives  of  the  Ladies’  Missionary 
■Societies  in  Anderson,  Seneca,  Liberty,  Pendleton  and  Fort 
Hill  (Clemson  College)  sent  a  letter  to  Presbytery  containing 
this  request: 

“Deeply  feeling  our  need  of  some  contact  with  each  other, 
we  respectfully  ask  the  Presbytery  of  South  Carolina  to  ex¬ 
press  its  approval  of  a  Union  of  the  Ladies’  Missionary  Socie¬ 
ties  of  our  Presbytery  and  to  appoint  a  committee  to  advise 
us  as  to  the  best  means  of  effecting  the  Union  which  shall 
report  to*  Presbytery  annually  and  be  in  all  things  subject  to 
its  direction  and  control.” 

The  approval  was  granted  and  the  women  met  in  Ander¬ 
son  in  October,  1900,  and  formed  a  Union,  of  which  Mrs.  R. 
N.  Brackett  was  made  President.  Ten  years  later  the  organi¬ 
zation  changed  its  name  and  separated  into  South  Carolina 
and  Piedmont  Presbyterial  Auxiliaries. 

Home  for  Farmer  Boys. 

Mrs.  M.  A.  Hollingsworth,  of  Easley,  S.  C.,  became  deeply 
interested  in  Thornwell  Orphanage,  frequently  visiting  the  in¬ 
stitution  and  contributing  liberally  to  its  support.  She  was 
especially  concerned  for  the  boys  of  the  “teen  age”  and  fur¬ 
nished  the  means  to  erect  a  “Home  for  Farmer  Boys”  in  mem¬ 
ory  of  her  three  sons. 

The  women  who  have  been  prominent  in  Presbyterial 
affairs  are  Mesdames  Bramlett,  Leslie  Stribling  and  T.  P. 
Anderson. 

South  Carolina  Presbyterial  Auxiliary  has  for  its  “special' 
a  Scholarship  in  the  Assembly’s  Training  School. 

Pee  Dee  Presbyterial,  1905. 

In  June,  1905,  the  Home  and  Foreign  Missionary  Union 


308 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


of  Pee  Dee  Presbytery  was  organized  the  fourth  in  South 
Carolina.  To  Mrs.  T.  Fraser  James,  President  of  the  Pauline 
Dubose  Missionary  Society  of  Darlington,  belongs  the  entire 
credit  of  the  organization  meeting.  She  was  elected  President 
of  the  Union.  The  three  vice-presidents  were  given  the  work 
cf  visiting  neighboring  churches  and  assisting  in  organizing 
new  societies. 

In  1906,  the  Secretary  spent  ten  days  visiting  parts  of 
the  Presbytery  where  the  work  of  the  Union  was  not  known. 
In  1911  Mrs.  A.  E.  Spencer  introduced  Presbyterial  Institutes. 
Three  were  held  in  the  spring  of  that  year,  with  Miss  Isabel 
Arnold  and  Miss  Grace  Vandiver  as  speakers. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  Presbyterial  in  Bennettsville,  in  1919. 
it  was  decided  to  take  as  a  Foreign  Mission  “special”  the  sup¬ 
port  of  Bible  women  and  helpers  in  the  Chunju  field,  Korea. 

In  1920,  another  “special”  was  assumed,  that  of  the 
Church  and  Manse  Fund  of  Pee  Dee  Presbytery.  To  this 
cause,  the  women  have  contributed  $1,300.00  during  three 
years. 

Manse  Builders. 

We  find  an  unusual  number  of  Manse  Builders  among  the 
Auxiliaries  of  Pee  Dee  Presbyterial.  It  is  recorded  of  the 
Ladies’  Society  of  McCall,  of  the  Woman’s  Missionary  Society 
of  Kingston  Church,  of  the  Woman’s  Society  of  Clio  Church 
and  of  the  Aid  Society  of  Mullins  Church  that  their  women 
built  or  helped  to  build  the  manse  of  the  church  with  which 
they  were  connected. 

Harmony  Presbyterial ,  1907. 

In  1907,  Harmony  Missionary  Union  was  organized  dur¬ 
ing  a  meeting  at  Manning.  Mrs.  A.  R.  Woodson  was  elected 
President.  To  her,  more  than  to  any  other  one  person,  is 
honor  due  for  the  successful  formation  of  this  Union.  In  1912 
this  body  again  met  in  Manning,  and  elected  Mrs.  L.  W. 


SOUTH  CAROLINA 


309 


Deschamps  as  President.  At  this  time  the  Missionary  Union 
of  Harmony  approved  the  Missouri  overture,  asking  for  a 
Superintendent  of  women’s  work,  lining  up  with  fifty-four  other 
Presbyterials  in  making  this  request.  This  Presbyterial  shows 
great  interest  in  Thornwell  Orphanage. 

Charleston  Presbyterial,  1907. 

The  history  of  Charleston  Presbyterial  began  in  the  Sab¬ 
bath  School  room  of  the  First  Church  of  Charleston,  on  Octo¬ 
ber,  1907,  with  Dr.  Alexander  Sprunt  as  its  Godfather.  This 
first  association,  the  Missionary  Union,  brought  together  six  or 
seven  churches,  timid  and  shrinking  at  the  thought  of  taking 
part  in  .the  new  undertaking,  but  earnestly  determined  to  fall 
in  line  with  other  churches  of  the  Synod.  There  was  some 
opposition  to  meet,  but  all  tact  and  care  were  used  and  we 
record  with  thanksgiving,  that  a  Union  was  effected,  which, 
later  on,  took  the  name  of  Charleston  Presbyterial.  The  first 
President  was  Mrs.  Thomas  D.  Johnson,  of  Summerville. 

Work  for  Colored  People. 

The  eighth  meeting  was  held  at  Rockville  Church,  Mar¬ 
tin’s  Point,  in  1915.  The  women  were  deeply  moved  by  the 
address  of  Mrs.  Mott  Martin,  Missionary  to  Africa,  and  the 
songs  of  her  little  maid,  Bakumba.  Most  of  the  delegates  re¬ 
turned  to  Charleston  on  the  Steamship  “Bailey.”  Mrs.  Sprunt 
the  President,  gives  the  following  account  of  the  trip:  “There 
had  been  a  storm  of  wind  and  rain  and  it  was  very  rough 
indeed.  The  waves  were  so  high  that  they  came  over  the  deck 
and  poured  into  the  cabin,  where  eighteen  of  us  stood  tightly- 
packed  with  two  inches  of  water  on  the  floor.  Here  we  had 
prayer  about  the  pressing  need  of  the  colored  people  of  the 
Sea  Islands  and  each  promised  to  do  her  part.” 

This  led  to  the  sending  of  an  overture  to  Presbytery  which 
resulted  in  the  engagement  of  Rev.  W.  A.  Young  (colored) 
to  work  on  the  Islands.  Later,  the  Presbyterial  assumed  the 


310 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


support  of  a  colored  missionary,  Mrs.  Sarah  E.  Gray,  the 
widow  of  a  Presbyterian  minister  of  the  colored  church,  on 
John’s  Island. 

Female  Missionaries  Who  Have  Gone  Out  From  This 

Presbytery. 

Mrs.  Isabella  Ellison  Adger  Boggs,  with  her  husband, 
went  to  Ahmednugger,  India,  in  1832. 

Mrs.  Elizabeth  Keith  Adger,  went  with  her  husband,  tc 
Smyrna,  in  1833,  to  minister  to  the  Armenians. 

Mrs.  Essie  Wilson  Price,  now  of  Nankin,  China. 

Mrs.  Nell  Sprunt  Little,  now  of  Kiangyin,  China. 

Mrs.  Sarah  Gray  (colored)  Home  Missionary. 

» 

Annie  Raymond  Stillman  (“Grace  Raymond ”) 

A  history  of  Charleston  Presbyterial  would  be  incomplete 
without  a  sketch  of  Annie  Raymond  Stillman,  author  of  “How 
They  Kept  the  Faith.”  She  was  the  daughter  of  Alfred  Ray¬ 
mond  Stillman  and  Amelia  H.  Badeau,  and  was  born  in 
Charleston  on  January  25th,  1855.  Her  first  published  work 
was  a  memorial  poem  to  her  pastor,  Dr.  Thomas  Smyth.  She 
contributed  poems  and  stories  to  the  Southern  Presbyterian  and 
the  Charleston  News  and  Courier.  Her  mother,  through  whom 
came  her  Huguenot  blood,  suggested  the  book  which  brought 
her  into  prominence  as  an  author.  “How  They  Kept  the  Faith,” 
is  an  important  contribution  to  the  history  of  the  martyred 
Huguenots  of  Christianity.  The  gradual  failure  of  Miss 
Stillman’s  sight  delayed  the  completion  of  the  book.  None 
who  knew  her  in  youth  can  forget  the  exquisite  profile,  the 
blond  hair,  brought  down  madonna-wise  on  each  side  of  the 
delicate  face,  the  eyes  veiled  against  the  light  and  the  intent 
interest  in  sermon  or  talk.  Miss  Stillman  now  lives  in  Tusca¬ 
loosa,  near  the  Institute  founded  by  her  uncle,  Dr.  Charles 
Stillman. 

Another  woman  of  the  pen  is  Mrs.  Samuel  G.  Stoney,  of 


SOUTH  CAROLINA 


311 


Charleston.  We  remember  her  as  the  editor  of  the  “Autobiogra¬ 
phical  Notes,  Letters  and  Reflections  of  Dr.  Thomas  Smyth,” 
a  book  of  value  and  interest  to  the  whole  Presbyterian  Church. 
Mrs.  Stoney  is  a  granddaughter  of  Dr.  Smyth. 

/ 

Congaree,  1915. 

Shortly  after  the  forming  of  the  Congaree  Presbytery,  Mrs. 
J.  O.  Reaves  called  a  meeting  of  the  Presbyterian  women  in 
the  Woodrow  Memorial  Church  to  plan  for  the  organization 
of  a  Presbyterial  Auxiliary.  Mrs.  Hal.  Dick,  Mrs.  N.  G. 
Gonzales,  Miss  Mamie  Wilds,  Miss  Celia  Gray,  (Mrs.  Wyatt 
Taylor)  and  Mrs.  O.  Y.  Owings  responded  to  the  call,  together 
with  the  members  of  the  Woodrow  Memorial  Society.  This 
group  of  women  planned  a  meeting  for  April  11th,  1915  at 
which  nine  or  ten  organizations  were  represented.  Seven  of 
these  were  from  the  Columbia  Churches  and  Aimwell  (Ridg- 
way),  Bethune,  and  Camden  were  the  out  of  town  churches. 
At  this  time,  the  Presbyterial  Auxiliary  was  organized  with 
Mrs.  R.  B.  Grinnan  as  President.  This  Auxiliary  has  done 
fine  work,  and  has  as  its  “special”  the  support  of  Miss  Gene¬ 
vieve  Marchant  in  Lavras,  Brazil. 

We  must  make  mention  of  the  assistance  of  Drs.  J.  O. 
Reavis  and  Andrew  Blackwood,  without  whom  organization 
would  have  been  difficult  and  slow.  Throughout  the  Presbytery, 
there  was  an  ominous  silence  on  the  woman  question,  a  silence 
that  could  be  heard.  Many  of  our  ministers  were  not  averse, 
but,  on  account  of  some  strong  opposition,  chose  to  let  the 
women  work  out  their  own  salvation,  with  fear  (of  the  opposi¬ 
tion)  and  trembling.  So  far  as  we  know,  Caesar  has  no  advan¬ 
tage  over  the  women  of  this  Presbytery  for  we  have  conquered 
all  opposition,  even  that  based  upon  “principle.” 

Notable  Women  of  Congaree  Presbyterial. 

Mrs.  Pauline  James  Owings,  who  was  the  Foreign  Mission 
Secretary  of  the  Presbyterial  when  organized,  is  the  author  of 
several  books. 


312 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


No  history  of  the  First  Presbyterian  Church  of  Columbia 
would  be  complete  without  a  mention  of  the  work  of  Mrs. 
Thomas  S.  Bryan.  In  the  summer  of  1919,  in  Montreat,  N.  C., 
she  heard  a  returned  worker  from  the  African  field,  tell  of  the 
discomforts  suffered  by  our  missionaries.  Someone  suggested 
that  this  could  be  remedied  by  the  church  in  building  suitable 
and  sanitary  homes  on  the  field.  Mrs.  Bryan  was  elected  finan¬ 
cial  secretary  of  the  Congo  Building  Fund.  She  was  instructed 
to  do  all  that  she  could  to  raise  a  suitable  amount  for  this  pur¬ 
pose  and,  accordingly,  she  wrote  to  the  societies  and  to  many 
individuals  throughout  the  Southern  Presbyterian  Church. 
Almost  entirely  by  her  personal  efforts  she  has  turned  into  the 
church  treasury  such  a  fund  that  the  officials  requested  that 
no  further  contributions  to  this  cause  be  made.  The  amount 
collected  up  to  date  is  $40,000.00  while  the  amount  asked  for 
was  $35,000.00.  God  blessed  the  work  and  we  honor  the 
worker. 

Mrs.  S.  I.  Woodbridge  (Jennie  Wilson  Woodrow)  Mission¬ 
ary  to  China  was  born  in  1858  and  died  in  1913.  She  trans¬ 
lated  many  English  books  into  Chinese  (Stories  and  school 
books  for  children)  and  was  assistant  editor  of  the  Chinese 
Intelligencer,  of  which  her  husband  was  the  editor.  She  left 
a  rich  legacy  in  her  eight  children,  all  members  of  the  Presby¬ 
terian  Church,  d'he  oldest  daughter  is  now  a  teacher  in  Nanking 
University  and  others  are  planning  soon  to  be  in  China,  one  as 
a  medical  missionary,  one  as  a  preacher  and  one  as  a  teacher. 

Mrs.  Wihelmina  Cosby  Byrd  fills  the  position  of  Dean 
of  Women  and  Professor  of  Bible  in  Chicora  College.  She  is 
the  author  of  “Outlines  of  Bible  Study”  and  “Christ’s  Lily,” 
also  of  many  poems,  short  stories,  satires  and  plays.  In  addi¬ 
tion  to  her  college  obligations  Mrs.  Byrd  conducts  Bible  classes 
and  lectures  on  the  Bible  and  religious  themes  throughout  the 
State. 


SOUTH  CAROLINA 


313 


SOUTH  CAROLINA  SYNODICAL  AUXILIARY  1913. 

April  11,  1912,  should  be  specially  remembered,  for  it  was 
on  that  date  that  a  long  step  forward  was  taken  by  the  women 
of  the  Presbyterian  Church  of  South  Carolina.  Following  a 
period  of  consultation,  planning  and  prayer,  a  group  of  the 
church's  most  consecrated  and  intelligent  women  met  in  the 
First  Presbyterian  Church,  Columbia,  S.  C.,  to  consider  the 
organization  of  a  .Synodical.  The  place  was  one  to  inspire 
high  thought  and  endeavor,  for  this  was  the  church  of  Dr. 
George  Howe,  Dr.  James  Witherspoon,  Dr.  B.  M.  Palmer, 
Dr.  Thos.  Peck,  Dr.  J.  H.  Thornwell,  Dr.  J.  L.  Girardeau, 
Dr.  Samuel  Smyth.  In  this  church,  Thomas  Woodrow  Wilson 
learned  the  shorter  Catechism  and  imbibed  those  principles 
which  have  made  him  the  world  apostle  of  peace  and  goodwill. 

Representatives  from  each  of  the  seven  Presbyterials  com¬ 
posed  the  meeting  with  Mrs.  W.  W.  .Simpson  of  Woodruff  act¬ 
ing  as  Chairman  and  Mrs.  John  Lyon  as  Secretary.  This 
body  of  women  unanimously  agreed  to  carry  back  to  their  Pres¬ 
byterials,  for  their  adoption,  an  overture  to  Synod,  asking  per¬ 
mission  to  organize  the  Synodical.  Mrs.  J.  O.  Reavis,  and 
Mrs.  John  Lyon  were  the  committee  to  draw  up  the  resolutions. 

During  the  fall  of  1912  all  seven  Presbyterials  adopted 
the  resolutions  and  Dr.  J.  O.  Reavis  presented  the  overture 
to  the  Synod. 

Permission  was  granted  and  the  first  meeting  of  the  South 
Carolina  Synodical  was  held  in  the  First  Presbyterian  Church 
of  Bennettsville  in  1913  and  Mrs.  J.  O.  Reavis  was  elected 
President.  The  Synodical  declared  its  object  to  be  “to  aid  all 
local  societies  in  every  way — one  unbroken  line  of  women, 
working  together  for  Christ.” 

Work  for  the  Colored  People. 

Mrs  S.  L.  Lebby  of  Charleston,  who  held  the  office  of 
President  from  1913  to  1916,  was  deeply  interested  in  the 


314 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


work  among  the  negroes.  The  idea  of  the  School  for  Negro 
Girls  which  has  just  been  finished  in  Tuscaloosa,  Ala.,  origi¬ 
nated  in  the  South  Carolina  Synodical.  It  was  planned  to 
take  over  the  Abbeville  School  for  Negro  Girls,  started  by 
northern  philanthropists.  Circumstances  rendered  this  inadvis¬ 
able,  and  the  sum  of  $2,500.00  contributed  for  that  purpose 
was  turned  over  to  Mrs.  Winsborough  and  became  the  nest  egg 
for  the  School  for  Negro  Girls  in  Tuscaloosa. 

South  Carolina  Synodical  has  been  guided  by  women  of 
outstanding  ability.  Mrs.  Lebby  was  succeeded  by  Mrs. 
Andrew  Bramlett  of  Clemson  College.  With  her  logical  mind 
and  sound  judgment,  she  did  much  to  perfect  the  organization 
of  the  body. 

Work  for  Young  People. 

When  Mrs.  F.  Louise  Mayes  became  President,  the  South 
Carolina  Young  People’s  Conference  took  shape.  It  was  held 
in  the  Presbyterian  College  in  Clinton  June  1922.  A  joint 
committee  from  the  Synod  and  the  Synodical  co-operated  in 
planning  and  carrying  out  the  Conference.  It  was  a  signal  suc¬ 
cess,  and  reached  160  young  people. 

Montreat. 

The  hospitality  of  South  Carolina  is  much  in  evidence  in 
Montreat.  On  the  mountain  side,  the  South  Carolina  Home 
opens  its  doors  to  her  ministers.  In  the  home  of  Mrs.  C.  E. 
Graham,  the  Woman’s  Advisory  Committee  first  met  and  on 
the  hearth  of  the  W.  A.  C.  room  in  the  Winsborough  Building, 
stand  South  Carolina  andirons,  upholding  the  logs  in  their 
mission  of  cheer  and  warmth  on  the  rainy  days  of  summer 
time. 

Mrs.  F.  Louise  Mayes. 

% 

In  January  1921,  at  the  time  of  the  meeting  of  the  Laymen’s 
Convention  in  Greenville,  Mrs.  F.  Louise  Mayes  conducted  a 
Woman’s  Parallel  Conference.  The  women  of  this  assembly 


SOUTH  CAROLINA 


315 


one  thousand  strong,  from  North  Carolina,  Georgia,  Florida 
and  South  Carolina,  were  among  the  choicest  spirits  of  our 
Southern  Presbyterian  Church.  In  1922  she  was  elected  Chair- 
man  of  the  Woman’s  Advisory  Committee. 

While  on  duty  as  one  of  the  speakers  at  the  recent  Women’s 
Parallel  Meetings  of  the  Laymen’s  Conventions,  Mrs.  Mayes 
heard  the  call  to  higher  service  and  on  March  loth,  1923,  she 
enlisted  in  the  great  army  of  the  Redeemed  in  the  heavenly 
country. 

And  so,  with  the  record  of  the  going  of  this  rare  spirit, 
this  sketch  of  Woman’s  Work  in  .South  Carolina  closes.  Mrs. 
Mayes  still  lives  in  counsel  and  influence,  and  we  look  to  see 
the  women  of  this  State  plan  nobler  deeds  and  achieve  greater 
victories  for  the  King  before  whom  their  leader  stands. 


TENNESSEE 


TENNESSEE 


318 


PIONEER 


WOMEN 


Mrs.  Felix  Grundy,  Tennessee.  Renowned  as  the 
founder  of  the  first  Sunday  School  in  Tennessee. 


TENNESSEE 


319 


TENNESSEE 

BEGINNINGS. 

Doubtless  the  earliest  religious  work  of  women  in  Ten¬ 
nessee  is  to  be  found  in  those  unwritten  histories  of  family 
altars  in  covered  wagons  of  pioneers  on  lonely  trails;  or  in 
rude  log  cabins  within  stockades  when  divine  guidance  was 
sought,  and  protection  from  very  visible  physical  enemies  was 
asked;  that  the  freedom  to  worship  God  for  which  their  elders 
had  crossed  rolling  sea  and  majestic  mountain  range  might  not 
revert  to  license  to  worship  self,  and  the  very  objects  of  their 
journeyfngs  be  defeated.  How  the  desire  for  Christian  fellow¬ 
ship  and  the  love  of  the  habitation  of  the  Lord’s  House  led 
those  early  settlers  to  seek  others  of  similar  faith,  is  the  story 
of  the  building  of  the  church,  that  they  might  behold  the 
beauty  of  the  Lord  and  enquire  in  His  temple.  Who  shall  say 
that  woman  played  no  part,  although  perhaps  a  silent  one,  in 
organizing  those  early  churches?  And  since,  in  them  lies  the 
germinating  place  for  the  later  more  independent  work,  ii 
seems  appropriate  to  mention  some  notable  beginnings. 

The  oldest  of  these  is  the  First  Presbyterian  Church  of 
Franklin  founded  in  1810  and  nurtured  by  a  membership  em¬ 
bracing  women  whose  descendants  have  taken  an  active  part, 
in  all  the  hundred  and  twelve  years  of  its  proud  existence.  Of 
the  First  Church  in  Murfreesborough,  with  its  picturesque  be¬ 
ginning  in  a  log  cabin  near  Mur  free  Spring  in  1812,  the  same 
thing  may  be  said;  though  here,  too,  woman’s  work  was  not 
organized  as  such  until  much  later. 

In  Nashville,  records  show  that  it  was  six  women  who 
answered  a  call  to  Presbyterians  of  the  little  village  to  gather 
at  the  Court  House  for  the  purpose  of  organizing  a  church  of 
that  denomination,  only  one  man  being  present  at  this  gath¬ 
ering.  From  such  a  nucleus,  the  magnificent  old  First  Church 


320 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


was  founded  in  1814,  and  just  three  years  afterward,  a  Woman’s 
Society  was  founded,  of  which  more  will  be  said  later. 

ROCK  CREEK  BIBLE  SOCIETY— 1815. 

As  early  as  1815,  Bethbirei  Church  organized  a  society, 
the  Rock  Creek  Bible  Society,  whose  membership  included 
men,  women  and  children.  They  met  once  a  year  on  “the  Sat¬ 
urday  before  the  third  Sunday  in  May.”  These  meetings  have 
been  held  continuously  up  to  the  present  time,  and  the  minutes 
of  those  first  meetings  are  still  in  the  hands  of  the  Secretary. 
Their  funds  were  sent,  at  first,  to  the  Philadelphia  Bible 
Society,  but  in  later  years,  the  organization  became  an  auxiliary 
of  the  American  Bible  Society. 

Surpassing  all  others  in  historical  and  romantic  interest 
is  the  story  of  the  founding  of  the  Hermitage  Church,  near 
Nashville,  in  honor  of  a  woman.  General  Andrew  Jackson, 
seventh  president  of  the  United  States,  erected  this  quaint  little 
building  in  1823,  on  his  own  plantation,  to  gratify  his  beloved 
wife,  and  since  then,  its  life  and  work  have  been  the  pecu¬ 
liar  care  of  loving  women. 

Another  beginning  of  fascinating  interest,  in  which  one 
woman  was  a  central  figure,  was  in  1819,  when  West  Tennessee 
was  purchased  from  the  Chickasaw  Indians  and  the  Reverend 
James  Holmes  and  Mrs.  Holmes  worked  as  missionaries  among 
them.  In  1833,  as  the  Indians  were  moved  further  West,  the 
Holmes  family  settled  in  Tipton  County,  many  of  the  Indians 
going  with  them;  and  there,  a  few  weeks  afterwards,  in  Mrs. 
Holmes’  kitchen,  the  Mount  Carmel  Church  was  born. 

Early  in  the  Twenties,  the  First  Presbyterian  Church  of 
Memphis  came  into  being,  and  Mrs.  James  O.  Stedman,  wife 
of  the  pastor,  formed  a  prayer  band  of  three  devout  women, 
who  met  quietly  every  week,  one  form  of  organization  which 
has  not  changed  from  that  far  day  to  this  and  as  a  result 
of  which  the  church  is  still  regarded  as  a  very  spiritual  one. 
A  member  of  this  prayer  band,  a  Mrs.  Doyle  devoted  her  life 


TENNESSEE 


321 


to  doing  good  works,  to  nursing  the  soldiers  during  the  Civil 
War,  and  to  caring  for  the  sick  when  the  awful  yellow  fever 
scourg  was  upon  Memphis,  giving  her  whole  time  without 
remuneration. 

ORGANIZED  WOMAN’S  WORK,  MAY  5th,  1817. 

However,  the  distinction  of  having  the  first  real  organized 
Woman’s  Work  of  the  Church  in  Tennessee,  belongs  to  Nash¬ 
ville,  when  some  of  the  members  of  the  First  Church  there 
formed  “The  Female  Bible  and  Charitable  Society,”  which 
was  organized  May  5th,  1817,  under  the  above  name  and 
held  property  later  under  that  name.  The  brick  building  in 
which  they  held  their  meetings  and  conducted  their  business 
was  situated  on  the  south  end  of  the  lot  on  which  stood,  and 
still  stands,  the  church  edifice,  and  was  known  as  the  “Society 
House.”  The  original  purpose  of  this  Society  was  the  distri¬ 
bution  of  Bibles,  and  the  Philadelphia  Bible  Society  sent  them 
a  large  number  soon  after  their  organization.  In  addition  tc 
this,  tracts  were  distributed,  clothing  was  given  to  the  needy, 
and  a  corps  of  volunteer  emergency  nurses  were  prepared  to 
render  services  when  necessary.  In  fact,  this  seems  to  have 
been  the  germ  of  the  modern  community  work.  Prayer  meet¬ 
ings  were  held  here  every  Wednesday  afternoon  and  the 
members  of  the  Society  bound  themselves  solemnly  to  attend 
these  meetings  regularly,  no  excuse  being  admissible  save  ab¬ 
sence  from  the  town  or  real  illness.  The  original  officers  and 
managers  are  as  given  below: 

Mrs.  A.  Richardson,  First  Director;  Mrs.  S.  Robertson, 
Second  Director;  Mrs.  N.  Ewing,  Third  Director;  Mrs  Julia 
Anderson,  Secretary;  Mrs.  James  Trimble,  Treasurer;  Mrs. 
T.  Talbot,  Manager;  Mrs.  M.  Tannehill,  Manager;  Mrs.  Felix 
Grundy,  Manager;  Mrs.  S.  Cantrell,  Manager;  Mrs.  Josiah 
Nickel,  Manager. 

In  1820,  one  of  these  leaders,  Mrs.  Felix  Grundy,  organ¬ 
ized  the  first  Sunday-school  ever  held  in  Nashville.  The  Bible 


322 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


had  been  excluded  from  the  public  schools  of  the  village,  so  Mrs. 
Grundy  opened  a  school  on  Sunday,  July  2,  1820,  which  met  in 
a  dilapidated  little  cabin  among  the  cedars  in  the  rear  of  Me- 
Kendree  Methodist  Church,  with  fifteen  children  and  three 
assistant  teachers.  The  church  buildings  had  been  refused  for 
the  purpose,  for  the  plan  was  at  first  violently  opposed  by  the 
ministers  and  church  members,  who  considered  it  a  desecration 
of  the  holy  day.  The  books  were  the  New  Testament  and  the 
Webster  Spelling  Book,  and  within  two  years  all  the  churches 
following  this  example,  started  schools  of  their  own. 

EARLY  GROWTH  OF  CHURCH  SOCIETIES. 

The  years  that  follow  the  forming  of  these  very  early  or 
ganizations  of  women  are  silent  ones,  and  it  is  not  until  very 
much  later  that  any  other  record  is  found  of  their  work.  Mrs. 
Mary  Carthel,  of  Zion  Church,  Columbia  Presbytery,  recalls  the 
“Monthly  Concerts”  that  were  held  there  prior  to  the  erection  of 
the  present  building  in  1847.  These  concerts  were  conducted  by 
the  pastor  of  the  church,  who  talked  to  the  men  and  women 
assembled  about  missionaries  and  their  work,  and  accepted  con 
tributions  to  the  cause.  Mrs.  Carthel  also  recalls  the  meeting 
together  of  the  women  to  do  sewing,  which  was  sold,  the  pro 
ceeds  going  to  some  benevolent  cause.  Later  records  of  a 
Ladies’  Aid  Society  place  this  organization  somewhere  in  the 
1850’s. 

In  the  old  Shelbyville  Church,  which  has  enjoyed  a  cen¬ 
tennial  celebration,  and  has  always  been  noted  for  the  piety 
and  consecration  of  its  women,  a  Sewing  Society  seems  to  have 
been  formed  that  contributed  toward  the  purchase  of  a  bell 
a  carpet  and  pulpit  furniture  as  early  as  1854,  when  their  new 
church  was  being  built.  This  seems  a  good  type  of  the  activi¬ 
ties  of  the  Aid  Societies  which  afterward  sprang  into  being 
everywhere.  Not  long  after  this,  in  1857,  the  Franklin  Church 
began  holding  “Monthly  Concerts”  on  Wednesday,  when  the 
pastor,  Rev.  Ira  Morey,  talked  on  Foreign  Missions.  Mrs 


TENNESSEE 


323 


Adelicia  McEwen  German  recollects  her  mother,  Mrs.  John 
B.  McEwen,  giving  her  and  her  sisters  money  to  contribute  to 
the  cause  presented  at  those  concerts.  Prominent  among  the 
regular  attendants  were  Mrs.  Ira  Morey,  Mrs.  William  O’Neil 
Perkins,  Mrs.  Robert  H.  Bradley  and  Mrs.  John  McGavock. 

Immediately  following  the  Civil  War,  in  1865,  Rev.  H.  B. 
Boude,  of  the  Gallatin  Church,  formed  a  Mission  Society  of 
Women  for  the  purpose  of  “Re-enlisting  the  interest  of  the 
people,  who  had  become  estranged  by  strife  and  suffering  in 
the  worship  of  God.”  This  pastor  prepared  cards  with  the 
names  of  several  members  of  the  church  and  congregation  and 
gave  them  to  two  ladies  of  the  Society  who  were  asked  to  call 
on  them  during  the  month,  inducing  them  to  come  to  church. 
Two  other  women  took  the  list  the  next  month,  thus  making 
a  visiting  committee  as  complete  in  its  organization  as  any 
modern  method  now  employed.  By  the  next  year,  regular 
monthly  meetings  were  held,  articles  on  foreign  mission  work 
sometimes  read,  and  contributions  made  by  the  women  to 
such  work.  It  is  interesting  to  note  here  that  two  of  the  charter 
members  of  this  .Society,  Mrs.  Sarah  Fitzgerald  and  Mrs. 
Kitty  Brown,  were  among  the  first  subscribers  to  the  Southern 
Presbyterian  Missionary  Magazine  at  its  initial  publication 
in  1867,  continuing  their  subscrptions  up  to  the  present  time. 
It  was  in  this  decade  also  that  Mrs.  D.  H.  Cummins,  wife  of 
the  pastor  and  founder  of  the  church  in  Covington,  Memphis 
Presbytery,  started  a  band  of  women  workers,  who,  through 
her,  sent  contributions  to  Foreign  Missions  in  large  propor¬ 
tion  to  the  number  of  members. 

Thus  did  woman  begin  her  great  work  in  the  Southern 
Presbyterian  Church  in  Tennessee. 

DEVELOPMENT. 

Woman’s  Work  really  became  a  permanent  and  well  estab¬ 
lished  factor  in  the  church  in  the  early  seventies.  At  this 
time,  in  the  great  majority  of  churches,  Ladies’  Aid  Societies 


324 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


were  organized  with  constitutions  and  by-laws  providing  for 
dues  and  free-will  offerings.  Their  work  was  mostly  local, 
caring  for  church  and  manse,  giving  aid  wherever  necessity 
arose.  Extra  funds  were  drawn  from  the  money  earned  by 
the  making  and  selling  of  articles,  the  serving  of  dinners  and 
lunches,  and  by  the  holding  of  bazaars.  Then  came  the  chang¬ 
ing  of  some  of  the  names  of  Missionary  Societies,  or  the  form¬ 
ing  of  separate  ones,  embracing  young  matrons  or  some  other 
element  of  church  membership.  These  organizations  were  al¬ 
ways  under  the  close  surveillance  of  the  pastor,  or  perhaps  an 
elder,  who  was  frequently  present  at  the  meetings.  Their 
work  included  the  support  of  students  in  college,  cots  in  hos¬ 
pitals,  or  children  in  the  Monroe  Harding  Home;  Mission 
Study  Classes  were  formed,  Moore  Memorial  Church  of  Nash¬ 
ville  being  among  the  first  to  have  one,  about  1900,  using 
the  Student  Volunteer  Books  before  the  woman’s  books  were 
gotten  out.  As  the  work  grew  and  woman’s  separate  interests 
became  so  keenly  enlisted,  her  vision  of  the  church’s  work 
broadened,  she  began  to  give  to  all  the  benevolent  causes, 
until  the  various  societies  of  a  church,  with  practically  the 
same  objects  in  view,  gradually  began  to  unite  into  one  large 
body.  This  was  but  a  step  toward  the  Woman’s  Auxiliary,  with 
constitution  along  church  governmental  lines,  embracing  all  the 
members  of  the  church;  and  thus  progress  was  made  toward  the 
revelation  of  a  new  day  in  the  Auxiliary  Circle  Plan.  This  plan 
has  been  adopted  by  all  the  larger  churches  of  the  Synod  with 
one  or  two  exceptions,  and  has  received  the  highest  praise 
imaginable  from  them.  Its  vast  and  far-reaching  effects  are 
strikingly  shown  in  the  wonderful  organization  of  the  Mem¬ 
phis  Churches,  whose  prayer  bands,  mission  study  classes  and 
increased  contributions  are  aflame  with  the  vital  spark  of  re¬ 
newed  enthusiasm  and  fellowship. 

INTERESTING  SOCIETIES. 

A  rather  unusual  work  was  begun  by  the  Gleaners,  a 


TENNESSEE 


325 


society  of  the  First  Church  of  Nashville,  which  has  grown  tc 
such  proportion  that  women’s  organizations  of  several  other 
churches  in  town  have  taken  it  up.  This  is  a  Presbyterian  Set¬ 
tlement  Home,  just  completed,  at  a  cost  of  twenty  thousand 
dollars,  and  bearing  the  name  of  Miss  Martha  O’Bryan,  or¬ 
ganizer  of  the  Society.  Two  other  Nashville  churches,  not  pre¬ 
viously  mentioned,  whose  women  are  doing  excellent  work,  are 
the  Second  Church  and  Glen  Leven,  the  latter  boasting  a  well 
organized  Woman’s  Society  just  a  year  after  the  founding  of 
the  church,  in  1893. 

A  Modern  Woman’s  Bible  Class,  which  contributes  lib¬ 
erally  to  home  and  foreign  missions,  is  the  one  organized  bv 
Mrs.  A.  JB.  Curry,  of  the  Second  Church,  Memphis,  with  a 
membership  of  over  a  hundred  interested  women. 

Notable  among  these  societies  are  those  of  the  First  Church 
of  Murfreesborough;  the  Ladies’  Aid  there  formed  in  1874,  had 
one  president  through  thirty  years  of  splendid  work,  Mrs. 
Cassandra  Curran  Keeble.  For  thirty  years  also,  Mrs.  Ade¬ 
laide  Lyon,  the  mother  of  foreign  mission  work  in  that  church, 
fostered  a  Ladies’  Prayer  Meeting  instituted  by  her,  which  met 
every  Tuesday  from  its  inception  in  1890,  till  its  merging  in 
the  Auxiliary. 

The  fine  old  Fayetteville  Church,  past  the  century  mark, 
with  its  societies  interested  in  both  home  and  foreign  mission 
work,  as  well  as  young  people’s,  is  enthusiastic  over  the  doubling 
of  contributions  since  the  adoption  of  the  Auxiliary  Circle 
Plan.  The  Clarksville  Church,  a  century  old  this  year,  has 
also  had  various  societies  doing  excellent  work,  interest  there 
having  been  enhanced  by  the  presence  of  Southwestern  Pres¬ 
byterian  University,  prior  to  its  recent  removal  to  Memphis. 
Another  Centenarian  Church  is  the  one  at  Smyrna  whose  de¬ 
voted  women  have  done  much  fine  work  in  it.  This  church 
enjoys  the  unique  distinction  of  having  the  town  named  for  it. 

Space  forbids  a  more  detailed  account  of  those  societies  of 
churches  great  and  small  where  an  active  interest  is  taken 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


326 


by  their  faithful  and  devoted  women.  Those  of  Bethany, 
Lewisburg,  Lynnville  and  Spring  Hill  are  among  them,  as 
well  as  the  smaller  churches  of  Spring  Creek  and  Madison. 

WORK  FOR  COLORED  PEOPLE. 

Work  for  colored  people  by  woman  is  as  old  as  the  church 
itself.  In  olden  days,  mistress  of  house  or  manse  usually 
taught  them  Christian  morals  and  manners  along  with  the 
domestic  acts,  and  most  of  the  churches  had  slave  galleries, 
where  they  were  invited  to  worship. 

After  the  Civil  War,  the  General  Assembly  exhorted  the 
churches  and  peoples  not  to  relax  their  efforts  in  the  re¬ 
ligious  instruction  of  their  helpless  freed  salves,  and  some  out¬ 
standing  examples  of  these  noble  women,  who  rose  above  the 
prejudices  of  the  times  and  entered  into  this  neglected  field  of 
service,  are  recorded  here. 

Among  the  Sunday-schools  for  colored  people  was  one  organ¬ 
ized  by  Mrs.  Ed  Porter,  living  a  few  miles  from  Memphis, 
and  held  in  her  own  yard.  Several  of  its  boys  and  girls  re¬ 
ceived  prizes  for  memorizing  the  Shorter  Catechism.  A  Mrs. 
Doby,  of  the  Mount  Carmel  Church,  also  did  much  teaching 
among  those  in  her  vicinity.  In  Covington,  from  a  small  be¬ 
ginning,  reading  the  Bible  to  them  in  their  homes,  Miss  Ella 
S.  Cummins  organized  an  interesting  Sunday-school,  holding 
its  meetings  in  the  basement  of  her  home.  Afterward,  however, 
their  brethren  of  the  Colored  Methodist  Church  invited  the 
school  to  meet  there,  and  prominent  men  and  women  of  the 
white  churches  took  part  in  teaching  those  most  appreciative 
men,  women  and  children  until  Miss  Cummins  w-ent  as  a 
missionary  to  Mexico. 

In  Nashville,  about  the  year  1888,  Miss  Sarah  A.  White 
a  charter  member  of  the  Woodland  Street  Church,  opened  a 
Sunday-school  for  colored  people  in  East  Nashville.  Each 
Sunday  afternoon  she  taught  their  children  Scripture  lessons, 
and  one  afternoon  in  the  week  taught  the  girls  to  sew,  while 


TENNESSEE 


327 


she  told  them  Bible  stories.  Another  day  of  every  week  she 
visited  those  unfortunates  in  the  State  Penitentiary,  comfort¬ 
ing  and  ministering  to  them.  For  ten  years,  she  lived  this 
consecrated  life,  giving  it  up  only  when  her  health  failed. 
Then,  too,  women  from  the  Nashville  churches  have  contributed 
for  twenty  years  to  the  support  of  a  local  colored  Presbyterian 
Church  there,  sending  a  delegate  from  its  Women’s  Organiza¬ 
tion  to  the  Colored  Conference  in  Atlanta,  in  1922. 

In  Murfreesborough,  about  1893,  Miss  Belle  Baird  or¬ 
ganized  and  conducted  a  colored  Sunday-school,  with  the  as- 
sistance  of  Miss  Elvie  McFadden  and  others.  In  loving  tribute 
to  Miss  McFadden,  be  it  said,  that  no  record  of  church  or 
community  work  in  her  town  is  complete  that  does  not  in¬ 
clude  her  quiet  ministries.  Truly  the  Lord  keeps  her  in  the 
secret  of  His  presence. 

ORGANIZATION  OF  PRESBYTERIAL  AUXILIARIES 

N  ashville — 1 891. 

In  Nashville,  some  of  the  local  foreign  missionary  socie¬ 
ties  began  to  feel  the  need  of  a  federation  for  mutual  help, 
and  so  in  1891,  Mrs.  W.  H.  Payne,  wife  of  the  President  of 
Peabody  College,  called  the  chairmen  of  a  few  of  these  socie¬ 
ties  together  to  talk  over  plans  for  perfecting  such  a  union. 
Duly  these  responded,  deciding  to  meet  once  a  year  to  tell 
each  other  of  their  work.  Then  they  invited  other  socie¬ 
ties  of  the  Presbytery  to  join  them,  forming  the  Women’s 
Foreign  Missionary  Union,  the  first  organized  Presbyterial 
Auxiliary  in  Tennessee,  while  ministers  look  askance  and  saw 
visions  of  boards  and  other  formidable  things.  Under  the 
splendid  leadership  of  Mrs.  J.  T.  Bingham,  the  vision  of 
this  Union  was  vastly  enlarged  and  home  missions  were  in¬ 
cluded.  Although  no  records  exist  of  a  request  to  Presbytery 
to  organize  these  societies  they  apparently  grew  of  themselves, 
into  a  union  strong  and  efficient  today. 


328 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


The  Shelbyville  Church  was  the  first  in  this  Presbytery 
to  adopt  the  Auxiliary  Circle  Plan.  From  Wartrace,  went  the 
first  trained  nurse  sent  out  by  the  Foreign  Mission  Committee, 
Miss  Flora  Alderman. 


Memphis — 1 899. 

The  Memphis  Presbyterial  Auxiliary  was  organized  Octo¬ 
ber  23,  1899,  in  the  First  Church,  Memphis,  by  a  committee 
appointed  by  the  Presbytery.  Some  of  the  ministers,  fearing 
they  were  giving  too  much  power  to  the  women,  had  prepared 
a  constitution  considered  suitable  for  a  Woman’s  Missionary 
Union.  Four  Memphis  Churches  were  represented  at  this 
first  meeting;  the  First  Church,  the  Second  Church,  and  the 
Idlewild  and  the  Lauderdale  Street  Churches.  Mrs.  B.  F. 
Haller  was  elected  President  and  her  deep  prayerful  interest 
has  aided  much  in  its  growth.  Other  societies  soon  joined  the 
Union,  and  with  the  aid  of  a  Missionary  Lecturer,  churches 
were  visited,  societies  formed,  and  interest  stimulated  and  in¬ 
creased  both  in  number  of  members  and  amount  of  contribu¬ 
tions.  One  very  beautiful  feature  of  this  Presbyterial  is  the 
fact  that  within  it  the  Memphis  Churches  still  maintain  a  local 
union,  meeting  three  times  a  year,  which  has  proved  a  bless- 
ing  in  keeping  them  in  very  close  touch  with  each  other  and 
creating  a  sense  of  harmony,  of  working  together,  for  the  good 
of  the  whole  denomination  in  that  community. 

During  these  years,  in  West  Tennessee,  another  Presby¬ 
terial  was  organized,  calling  itself  the  Western  District,  but 
in  1913,  the  two  united  under  the  name  of  the  Memphis  Pres¬ 
byterial  Auxiliary,  and  now  boast  thirty-three  societies  as 
members. 

This  Union  has  supported  a  Jewish  mission  in  Memphis 
and  contributed  liberally  to  home  and  foreign  missions,  espe¬ 
cially  to  those  in  Japan.  It  has  the  notable  distinction  of 
having  mothered  the  following  missionaries:  Miss  Ella  S. 
Cummins,  of  Covington,  who  went  to  Mexico;  Mrs.  Anabel 


TENNESSEE 


329 


Major  Nisbet,  of  Humboldt;  Miss  Ada  McMurphry,  of  the 
First  Church;  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Walker  Nisbet,  and  Miss  Alma 
Hill,  of  the  Second  Church,  Memphis,  all  of  whom  went  to 
Korea;  and  Mrs.  Anna  Sykes,  of  the  Alabama  Street  Church 
Memphis,  who  went  to  China. 

To  this  Presbyterial  also  belongs  the  honor  of  having  the 
church  with  vision  enough  to  be  the  leader  in  Tennessee  in 
adopting  the  Auxiliary  Circle  Plan,  Idlewild  Church,  Memphis. 

The  following  women  have  led,  as  Presidents:  Mrs.  B. 
F.  Haller,  Memphis;  Mrs.  M.  Taylor,  Memphis;  Miss  Ella 
S.  Cummins,  Covington;  Mrs.  John  Harden,  Humboldt;  Mrs. 
Mary  Heuer,  Memphis;  Mrs.  John  Cooper,  Trenton. 

Columbia — 1 904. 

The  organization  of  the  Columbia  Presbyterial  Auxiliary 
makes  an  unusually  interesting  illustration  of  the  principle  of 
how  faith  in  the  faith  of  some  one  else  works  out,  and  of  how 
no  effort  toward  good  is  ever  really  lost. 

The  definite  movement  that  finally  led  to  the  establish¬ 
ment  of  the  Union  was  begun  by  Mrs.  Rebecca  McLemore, 
ct  the  First  Church  of  Columbia.  Among  those  whom  she 
sought  to  interest  was  Miss  Mary  Ruth  Martin  of  Frierson 
Memorial  Church.  Miss  Martin  sent  letters  to  representative 
women  throughout  the  Presbytery,  asking  them  to  send  dele¬ 
gates  from  local  church  societies  to  the  fall  meeting  of  that 
body  in  Belfast.  Receiving  not  a  single  reply,  she  gave  up 
all  idea  of  pushing  the  plan  any  further,  supposing  no  sym¬ 
pathy  existed  for  it  anywhere. 

Fortunately  there  was  another  ardent  advocate  of  the 
cause  who  did  not  know  of  the  cold  reception  Miss  Martin’s 
efforts  had  received  and  whose  faith  was  not  dampened  ac¬ 
cordingly.  Mrs.  Annie  White,  lovingly  known  as  Mother 
White,  had  recently  attended  an  enthusiastic  meeting  of  the 
Nashville  Union  and  had  taken  it  for  granted  that  every 
church  in  her  Presbytery  would  respond  to  the  call.  So  she 


330 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


prepared  to  go  to  Belfast  as  the  delegate  of  the  First  Church 
of  Columbia,  and  on  her  way  to  the  station  stopped  at  the 
home  of  Miss  Martin,  whose  letter  she  had  received,  to  go  on 
with  her.  Miss  Martin  was  astonished,  but  hastily  got  ready, 
and  the  two  went  together  to  Belfast,  where  they  found  the 
Presbytery  already  in  session.  They  found  also  two  other 
women  delegates,  Miss  Gorden,  of  Cornersville,  and  Miss  Wil¬ 
liams,  of  Culleoka,  and  the  four  pioneers  presented  their  cause 
at  the  lunch  hour.  No  action  was  taken  that  day,  but  the 
next,  after  much  discussion  among  ministers  and  elders,  with 
party  lines  rather  tightly  drawn,  the  vote  was  favorably  cast, 
with  a  majority  of  only  one.  An  order  was  given  for  the 
assembling  of  delegates  from  the  Women’s  Societies  to  form 
a  Presbyterial  Auxiliary,  which  was  done  in  1904. 

Thus  the  vital  spark  of  faith  in  larger  tasks  that  fired 
one,  then  another,  burst  into  the  flame  of  zeal  that  made  the 
work  possible.  The  Bethany  Church  was  first  in  this  zone  to 
adopt  the  Auxiliary  Circle  Plan.  The  following  have  served 
successfully  as  Presidents:  Mrs.  John  R.  Marshall,  Mrs. 
Mattie  Harris,  Mrs.  J.  C.  Molloy,  Mrs.  Ross  Woods. 

SYNODICAL  AUXILIARY— 1912. 

The  Presbyterial  Auxiliaries  with  so  many  committees  to 
work  for  and  to  report  to,  found  it  hard  to  attempt  any  uni¬ 
formity  of  work,  consequently  each  followed  its  own  plan.  In 
1890,  the  need  of  closer  touch  thus  created,  led  Mrs.  William 
M.  Anderson,  whose  husband  was  then  pastor  of  the  First 
Church,  Nashville,  to  read  a  paper  before  her  Union,  sug¬ 
gesting  a  Synodical  Auxiliary.  This  was  a  bombshell  for  dis¬ 
cussion  but  certainly  cleared  the  air  for  woman’s  larger  work. 
In  1911,  at  the  meeting  of  the  Synod  in  Covington,  an  overture 
was  presented  from  the  Memphis  Presbyterial,  asking  permis¬ 
sion  to  form  such  an  auxiliary;  and  in  August,  1912,  during 
the  Woman’s  Conference  at  Montreat,  a  temporary  organiza¬ 
tion  was  effected,  with  Mrs.  T.  H.  McCallie,  of  the  First 


TENNESSEE 


331 


Church,  Chattanooga,  Chairman,  and  Miss  Alice  Stafford, 
of  the  same  church,  Secretary.  At  this  time  there  were  five 
Presbyterial  Auxiliaries  in  the  Synod  of  Tennessee,  the  Knox¬ 
ville  and  the  Holston  not  yet  having  become  part  of  Appa¬ 
lachia.  This  organization  could  only  be  temporary,  how¬ 
ever,  since  all  Presbyterials  were  not  authoritatively  repre¬ 
sented.  So  a  meeting  was  arranged  for  September  in  Nash¬ 
ville,  and  there  at  the  First  Church,  with  Mrs.  Hosea  Dean 
presiding,  a  permanent  Synodical  Auxiliary  was  formed.  Mrs. 
Robert  Scott  Webb,  of  Moore  Memorial  Church,  Nashville 
was  elected  President,  and  Mrs.  Hosea  Dean,  of  the  same 
Church,  .Secretary.  The  two  other  Presidents  to  date  are:  Miss 
Ella  S.  Cummins,  of  Covington,  former  missionary  to  Mexico, 
and  Mrs.  Chas.  S.  Kinkead,  of  Nashville.  To  the  untiring 
work  of  these  and  other  officers,  the  steady  growth  of  the  work 
is  due.  One  important  thing  accomplished  was  paying  the 
expenses  of  a  speaker  who  traveled  over  the  State  for  three 
months  visiting  each  church  in  the  interest  of  Woman’s  Work 
and  the  Auxiliary  Circle  Plan.  Then  funds  were  furnished 
for  a  State  Young  People’s  Conference  at  Bon  Aqua,  which 
has  proved  an  inspiration  to  all  interested  in  that  branch 
of  work. 

Young  People’s  Work . 

Women  of  the  Church  have  always  been  deeply  interested 
in  the  religious  training  of  children  and  in  the  Sunday-schools, 
though  superintendents  and  officers  were  men,  women  have 
always  constituted  the  majority  of  teachers.  One  Sunday- 
school,  founded  by  a  woman,  was  really  the  inspiration  for 
the  building  of  a  Presbyterian  Church  in  its  community.  This 
was  a  Union  Sunday-school  organized  in  1889,  by  Mrs.  W.  P. 
Flowers,  living  near  Memphis,  and  taught  by  her  every  Sunday 
afternoon,  in  the  country  school  house. 

In  most  of  the  churches,  women  have  organized  Mission 
Bands,  the  majority  were  for  girls,  a  very  few  for  boys,  while 


332 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


some  were  for  both  boys  and  girls.  One  of  the  most  effective 
of  these  was  the  Theodoric  Cecil  Band  of  the  Murfreesborough 
Church,  founded  by  Mrs.  B.  L.  Ridley,  and  Miss  Nannie 
Wade,  in  1886,  as  a  living  monument  to  one  of  the  lambs  of 
the  fold.  For  over  thirty  years,  it  continued  in  active  service 
until  it  was  merged  into  the  Christian  Endeavor.  From  its 
ranks,  the  Church  received  two  volunteers  for  life  service; 
Miss  Lucy  Henderson,  sent  to  foreign  fields-,  and  Miss  Elvic 
McFadden,  to  home  ones. 

At  the  annual  meeting  of  Presbyterial  Auxiliaries,  young 
girls  have  presented  reports  of  these  young  people’s  organizations 
•and  their  work  has  often  been  included  as  a  topic  on  the  pro¬ 
gram;  but  the  first  formal  gathering  of  the  young  people  them¬ 
selves  took  place  in  192'0,  at  Lewisburg,  when  a  one-day  rally 
was  arranged  by  the  Columbia  Presbyterial  Auxiliary,  with  per¬ 
mission  of  the  Presbytery.  Miss  Margaret  Wiggs,  of  Lewisburg, 
was  the  first  President.  Similar  rallies  were  held  in  the  Mem¬ 
phis  Presbytery  and  a  year  later  in  the  Nashville  Presbytery. 

However,  the  plan  for  a  State  conference  of  young  people 
was  not  proposed  until  1919,  when  the  Secretary  for  their  work 
put  it  before  the  Synodical  Auxiliary  Meeting.  That  organi¬ 
zation  accepted  the  plan  and  memorialized  the  Synod  of  Ten¬ 
nessee  to  have  such  a  conference.  Thus,  in  June,  1921,  it 
came  about  that  the  first  Young  People’s  Conference  for  the 
Synod  was  held  at  Bon  Aqua,  the  Synodical  Auxiliary  making 
the  program  and  furnishing  the  necessary  funds.  This  gather¬ 
ing  numbered  about  one  hundred  and  seventy  and  spent  a 
week  together,  which  seemed  rich  in  spiritual  blessing  for  all 
who  attended.  It  proved  but  an  inspiration  for  the  second 
Conference,  held  at  Ovoca,  the  year  following,  under  the 
auspices  of  both  Synod  and  Synodical,  for  three  hundred  and 
fifty  attended  then  and  an  excellent  program  and  spirit  of 
good  fellowship  proved  a  still  greater  inspiration  to  further 
efforts. 


TENNESSEE 


333 


Women  of  Literary  Ability. 

Among  Tennessee  women  who  have  written  for  the  Church 
periodicals,  are:  Mrs.  W.  C.  Edmonson,  of  Memphis,  for 
a  number  of  years  editor  of  the  Primary  Department  of  the 
Earnest  Worker;  Miss  Elizabeth  McE.  Shields,  who  has  also 
been  a  contributor  to  the  Earnest  Worker,  as  well  as  a  writer 
of  pamphlets  and  leaflets;  Miss  Margaret  McNeilly,  of  Nash¬ 
ville,  who  as  a  member  of  the  staff  of  The  Missionary  Survey 
has  written  many  Foreign  Mission  leaflets;  and  Mrs.  Annie 
White,  known  as  Mother  White,  who  has  used  her  pen  willingly 
in  her  Master’s  Service  in  the  many  letters  she  has  written,  tc 
young  women  especially,  all  over  the  State,  holding  before 
them  the  everlasting  joy  and  satisfaction  in  such  service. 


TEXAS 


335 


TEXAS 


336 


PIONEER 


WOMEN 


Mrs.  J.  C.  Terrell.  The  first  presiding  officer 
of  Texas  Synodical  Auxiliary.' 


TEXAS 


o3  l 


TEXAS 

Texas  is  the  giant  Synod  of  the  Assembly,  comprising  a 
territory  four  times  larger  than  New  England,  equal  to  six 
New  Yorks  or  seven  Ohios.  To  gather  historical  data  from 
a  people  glorying  in  deeds  but  caring  little  for  records,  has 
been  no  small  task. 

Fifty  years  ago,  this  State  contained  a  small  population 
slowly  recovering  from  the  ruin  caused  by  the  Civil  War.  At 
that  time,  there  were  no  railroads,  but  Dallas,  then  something 
between  a  camp  and  a  town,  had  a  promise  that  two  were 
soon  to  6e  built.  Since  then  the  rapid  growth  and  development 
of  the  State  has  been  marvelous. 

The  very  early  settlers  of  Texas  were  principally  from 
the  Southern  States,  men  with  their  families  who  were  seek¬ 
ing  adventure  and  big  enterprise.  These  were  the  men  whc 
fought  the  Texas-Mexican  War,  in  order  to  free  the  land  from 
Mexico  and  to  establish  an  independent  republic. 

Among  these  early  settlers  was  Josiah  H.  Bell  and  his 
wife,  Mary  Eveline  McKenzie,  who  went  to  Texas  in  1821. 
Mary  McKenzie  was  born  October  16th,  1799,  in  Statesville, 
North  Carolina.  Her  family  was  one  of  means  and  promnence 
and  her  grand-father  and  an  uncle  had  been  soldiers  in  the 
Revolutionary  Army.  Her  early  life  was  spent  within  the 
bounds  of  Fourth  Creek  Presbyterian  Church,  and  it  was  here 
that  she  imbibed  those  principles  which  expressed  themselves  in 
her  life  away  off  in  the  wilds  of  Texas.  When  nineteen  years 
old,  while  on  a  visit  in  Christian  County,  Kentucky,  she  married 
josiah  Bell,  and  two  years  later,  she  and  her  husband  crossed 
the  Sabine  River  with  six  and  one-fourth  cents  in  money  and 
two  negro  servants. 

In  1822,  Austin  entrusted  Mr.  Bell  with  the  affairs  of 
his  colony,  while  he  went  to  Mexico.  During  1822-23,  they 


338 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


lived  on  New  Years’  Creek,  in  what  was  to  be  Washington 
County,  but  in  1824  they  moved  to  the  extreme  limit  of  the 
prairie  to  the  South  and  settled  at  what  became  West  Columbia, 
the  “Cradle  of  Independence”  and  the  first  capital  of  the  Re¬ 
public  after  the  battle  of  San  Jacinto.  ,So  long  as  the  government 
remained  at  West  Columbia,  Mr.  Bell  provided  entertainment 
for  President  Houston  and  other  chief  men  and  distinguished 
visitors.  President  Houston  had  his  headquarters  in  the  office 
in  the  yard.  Under  such  circumstances,  Mary  McKenzie  Bell 
won  the  admiration  and  praise  of  all  for  her  naturally  brilliant 
gifts  and  graces,  her  executive  force  and  motherly  care. 

When  Padre  Michael  Muldoon  came  to  the  colony  to  marry 
the  colonists  according  to  the  right  of  the  established  Catholic 
church,  she  refused  either  to  be  remarried  or  to  submit  to  the 
sacrament  of  baptism  at  the  hands  of  the  priest.  But  when,  in 
1840,  the  Rev.  William  Y.  Allen  visited  Columbia,  Mrs.  Bell 
became  one  of  the  charter  members  of  the  Presbyterian  Church 
of  Columbia,  having  refused  to  unite  with  any  other. 

Revs.  Messrs.  Allen,  Baker,  McCullough  and  McCalla 
make  mention  of  Mrs.  Bell,  only  to  praise  her  for  her  Chris¬ 
tian  character  and  unbounded  hospitality.  Her  home  was  the 
mecca  for  Presbyterian  ministers  in.  those  early  days.  In  ad¬ 
dition  to  their  testimony,  Mr.  Thos.  J.  Pilgrim,  the  outstanding 
Baptist  teacher  of  those  times,  says:  “Mrs.  Bell  was  one  of 
the  noblest  woman  I  ever'  knew,  in  any  country.  Though  living 
in  the  wilds  of  Texas,  her  intelligence,  good  taste,  and  polished 
manners  would  have  graced  the  most  refined  circles.  Her  house 
was  a  welcome  home  to  every  stranger,  where  the  hungry  were 
fed,  the  naked  clad,  the  sick  nursed  with  tenderness  and  sym¬ 
pathy.  Texans  now  little  realize  how  much  the  country  owes 
to  the  early  efforts  of  this  pure  woman,  how  much  suffering  she 
was  instrumental  in  relieving  and  when  the  dark  clouds  of 
war  lowered,  what  confidence  and  courage  she  inspired  in  the 
bosoms  of  the  timorous  and  desponding;  for  she  was  a  stranger 
to  fear,  and  of  our  final  success  she  never  doubted.” 


TEXAS 


339 


Guy  M.  Bryan,  also  a  contemporary,  wrote  in  July,  1852: 
“Mrs.  Josiah  Bell  now  lives  in  this  county,  Brazoria,  and  a 
purer,  nobler-minded  woman  never  breathed  the  air.  Not  an 
old  Texan  lives  who  does  not  love  and  revere  this  estimable 
lady,  this  Good  Samaritan  of  Austin’s  Colony.” 

Another  staunch  Christian  soul  of  the  greatest  bravery 
was  Elizabeth  Downing  Henry,  who,  with  her  husband,  Robert 
Henry,  came  from  Ireland  to  Charleston,  S.  C.,  about  1815, 
removed  to  Texas  in  1829,  and  settled  in  what  is  now  known 
as  Robertson  County,  on  the  old  San  Antonio  Trail.  Here  they 
were  most  exposed  to  depredations  of  Mexicans  and  Indians 
being  over  one  hundred  miles  from  the  nearest  trading  post 

and  thirty-five  miles  from  the  nearest  neighbor.  This  lonely 

* 

log  home  was  one  of  the  regular  stopping  places  of  Sam  Hous¬ 
ton.  The  Texas-Mexican  War  of  1836,  called  the  father  away 
leaving  the  mother  and  ten  children  alone  on  the  farm. 

Among  pioneer  stories  of  our  wilderness  days,  none  ex¬ 
ceed  in  heroism  those  that  tell  of  the  border  warfare  between 
Texas  and  Mexico.  And  in  the  balance  was  being  weighed  a 
Republic  and  a  Church.  To  Mrs.  Henry,  as  to  others,  came 
tests  of  courage,  at  which  the  stoutest  hearts  would  have  quailed ; 
one  of  these  was  ever  memorable,  because  it  was  at  the  time 
of  a  fearful  massacre  on  the  banks  of  the  Navasota  River.  The 
warning  had  come  to  the  Henry  family,  and  to  other  settlers, 
to  flee  for  their  lives  across  the  river  into  the  Fort.  Along  the 
trail,  came  the  fugitives,  many  of  whom  Mrs.  Henry  would 
call  into  her  home,  although  she  was  in  the  midst  of  hasty 
preparations  for  the  flight  of  herself  and  family,  and  together 
they  would  kneel  to  implore  guidance  and  deliverance. 

Upon  reaching  the  Navasota,  it  was  to  find  swollen  waters 
rushing  past  with  drift  wood,  a  sight  to  terrorize  the  bravest 
heart.  With  cool  determination  ’midst  tearful  protest  of  the 
company,  eighty  of  whom  had  gathered  there,  Mrs.  Henry 
placed  her  eldest  boy  on  one  of  her  two  horses,  while  she 
mounted  the  other,  each  carrying  two  children,  and  plunged 


540 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


into  the  raging  stream,  declaring  such  death  preferable  to  a 
worse  fate.  Reaching  the  other  side  in  safety,  the  four  children 
were  given  instructions  how  to  find  the  Fort,  while  they  re- 
crossed  the  stream  for  the  remaining  children.  These,  with  a 
few  others  who  had  taken  courage,  landed  safely  across  the 
waters.  The  remainder  of  the  company  were  massacred  that 
night. 

Many  were  the  sharp  encounters  Mrs.  Henry  had  with 
these  marauding  bands  and  often  only  her  cool,  firm  courage 
overcame  perilous  situations.  Yet,  we  are  told,  she  always 
recalled  with  emotion,  the  kindness  she  received  at  the  hands 
of  the  Indians.  She  was  known  among  them  as  “brave  white 
squaw”  and  to  every  reference  to  her  bravery,  she  gave  the 
same  reply,  “My  preservation  was  due  to  faith  in  God,  who 
had  a  purpose  for  my  life  and  made  all  things  come  to 
pass.”  She  was  a  Christian  and  a  Presbyterian.  Robert 
Henry  built  a  church  at  his  own  door,  and  on  one  of  his  trad¬ 
ing  trips,  heard  of  the  Rev.  Fullenwider,  whom  he  secured  to 
come  and  preach  in  the  little  church  at  intervals,  until  a  pastor 
could  be  found.  The  Church  remained  on  the  same  spot  until 
1870,  when  it  was  moved  midway  between  the  homes  of  two 
of  Mr.  Henry’s  daughters,  who  had  married  and  lived  a  mile 
apart,  Elizabeth  and  Mary,  wives  respectively  of  Columbus 
and  Bradford  Seale.  The  church  was  called  Red  Top  and  its 
membership  has  recently  been  transferred  to  Bryan  Presby¬ 
terian  Church.  The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  the  great¬ 
grandmother  of  the  present  President  of  Texas  Synodical,  Mrs. 
Elizabeth  Wilcox  Brock. 

Early  Churches  and  Organizations — 1838-1860. 

A  number  of  years  before  Texas  became  a  State  of  the 
Union,  Presbyterians  in  small  groups  were  organizing  them¬ 
selves  into  Churches  in  different  parts  of  the  State. 

On  June  2nd,  1838,  the  first  Presbyterian  Church  was 
organized  in  a  school  house  in  San  Augustine  and  the  first 


TEXAS 


341 


member  to  be  received  was  Mrs.  Nancy  Polk,  on  the  profes¬ 
sion  of  her  faith.  For  sixty  years,  she  bore  aloft  the  light 
of  an  earnest  Christian  in  this  new  community,  living  to  the 
ripe  age  of  eighty-six.  Many  of  her  grandchildren  and  great¬ 
grandchildren  are  in  active  church  work  in  different  parts 
of  the  State  today. 

Between  the  years  1864  and  1884,  a  dark  cloud  settled 
upon  the  struggling  congregation  at  San  Augustine.  They  were 
without  a  minister,  the  elders  died  or  moved  away,  the  members 
scattered,  died  or  drifted  into  other  churches,  until  only  one 
member  remained,  Mrs.  Polly  Nicholson,  wife  of  the  last  elder. 
For  many  years,  she  stool  alone,  holding  the  records  which  she 

cherished  as  a  precious  memory,  refusing  to  surrender  them  to 

* 

Presbytery,  hopefully  looking  for  a  new  day.  She  lived  to 
see  her  fondest  hopes  fulfilled,  as  preaching  services  were 
gradually  revived  and  finally  a  pastor,  Rev.  D.  A.  McRae, 
came  to  San  Augustine  and  put  the  church  on  a  firm  footing. 

In  1887,  a  Ladies’  Aid  Society  was  organized  with  Mrs. 
Fannie  Rankin,  President.  She  gave  the  minister  his  board 
beside  paying  liberally  on  his  salary,  and  set  an  example 
of  faithfulness  and  self-denial  which  crowns  her  memory.  It 
is  said  of  the  original  members  of  this  church  that  a  nobler 
company  of  devoted  Christians  were  never  found  in  any  com¬ 
munity.  Presbyterianism  was  planted  so  deeply  in  them  that 
the  influence  is  still  felt  and  is  an  evident  fact  by  there  being 
so  many  Presbyterian  churches  in  that  and  surrounding  coun¬ 
ties. 

On  March  3rd,  1839,  in  the  Senate  Chamber  of  the  Re¬ 
public  of  Texas,  the  Houston  Church  was  organized  by  Rev. 
W.  Y.  Allen,  of  the  Presbytery  of  Alabama,  with  eleven  charter 
members.  In  1879,  the  women  of  this  church  were  organized 
under  the  title  of  the  “Ladies  Association.” 

Later  in  the  year  1839,  the  same  Rev.  W.  Y.  Allen  or¬ 
ganized  the  First  Church  of  Austin  in  a  vacant  room  in  Bul¬ 
lock’s  Hotel,  with  six  members.  This  number  increased  to 


342 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


eleven,  and  then  languished  until  1850,  when  it  was  reorganized 
From  the  first,  the  women  are  reported  as  having  kept  the 
room  in  order,  in  which  they  worshiped.  In  1872,  seven  of 
the  faithful  women  organized  a  Ladies’  Aid  Society. 

Palestine  is  one  of  the  early  churches,  and  here  there  was 
a  Ladies’  Aid  as  early  as  1858,  with  Mrs.  Julia  DeBard  as 
President.  She  served  for  thirty-five  years  in  this  capacity, 
until  her  death.  This  is  probably  the  first  woman’s  organiza¬ 
tion  in  Texas  Synod. 

In  the  Lockhart  Church,  organized  in  1849,  with  ten 
members  and  two  elders,  the  Ladies’  Missionary  Society  was 
formed  in  1882,  their  chief  interest  being  work  among  the 
Mexicans  in  Texas. 

At  Sequin,  organized  in  1856,  the  women  had  a  society 
prior  to  1876,  the  date  of  their  established  records,  when 
the  church  building  was  erected.  Always  abounding  in  faith 
and  good  works,  their  Auxiliary  grows  more  efficient  in  con¬ 
forming  fully  to  the  Woman's  Work  of  our  church. 

The  records  of  the  First  Presbyterian  Church  of  Lan¬ 
caster  (Dallas  Presbytery),  furnish  a  splendid  illustration  of 
the  type  of  courage,  self-sacrifice  and  perseverance  which  Texas 
womanhood  has  built  into  the  establishment  of  the  Presbyte¬ 
rian  Church.  Always  there  was  the  small  beginning,  amid 
surroundings  of  uncertainty  and  instability,  with  obstacles  that 
only  undaunted  faith  could  overcome. 

The  Church  of  Lancaster  was  organized  by  the  Rev. 
Michael  Dickson,  of  Milford,  July  16th,  1856,  with  nine  char¬ 
ter  members,  three  of  whom  were  made  Elders.  The  organi¬ 
zation  was  effected  in  a  cabinet  shop  two  blocks  from  the 
present  church  building.  Of  the  charter  members  five  were 
women,  and  very  soon  they  became  a  Ladies’  Aid  Society,  with 
Mrs.  Emily  Guy  as  President.  The  activities  of  this  society 
were  entirely  independent  of  the  church  officers.  Before  any¬ 
thing  very  definite  was  undertaken,  the  Civil  War  was  upon  them 
and  for  four  years  “war  work”  was  about  all  that  was  done. 


TEXAS 


543 


As  soon  as  the  war  clouds  began  to  disappear,  these  brave 
handmaidens  began  to  gather  funds  for  the  purchase  of  a  lot 
on  which  to  erect  a  house  of  worship.  By  great  sacrifice,  this 
lot  was  paid  for,  leaving  a  balance  of  $100.00  in  the  treasury 
as  a  start  on  the  building  fund.  The  deed  was  made  to 
Emily  Guy,  Anna  Moffett,  Eleanor  Moffett,  Jane  Harris  and 
Elizabeth  Grove,  who,  in  due  time,  transferred  the  same  to 
the  church  officers.  When  the  building  was  completed  in  1884, 
and  a  Sabbath  School  organized,  the  “Ladies  Aid  Society”  was 
taken  under  the  supervision  of  the  session.  Mrs.  Emily  Guy 
was  the  last  of  the  charter  members  to  pass  to  her  reward, 
August  10th,  1917,  at  the  age  of  92  years,  Mrs.  Anna  Moffett 

preceding  her  only  a  few  years. 

* 

A  Missionary  Society  was  organized  in  1904,  with  ten 
members,  and  their  first  act  was  to  undertake  a  fifty  dollar 
share  in  the  Forward  Movement  for  Foreign  Missions.  The 
next  year,  a  like  amount  was  pledged  to  Home  Missions, 
and  year  by  year  the  work  enlarged.  Up  to  1911,  this  Society 
had  furnished  a  President,  a  Vice-President  and  a  Secretary 
to  the  Woman’s  Missionary  Union  of  Dallas  Presbytery. 

In  Brazos  Presbytery,  is  the  Church  of  Calvert.  In  1894, 
a  Woman’s  Aid  Society  began  to  work  with  four  members. 
At  once,  they  proceeded  to  tithe  for  missions,  and  in  five 
months,  sent  contributions  of  $10.00  each  to  Rev.  N.  S.  Scott, 
for  Mexican  work  in  Texas,  and  to  Rev.  W.  A.  Jones,  Mission¬ 
ary  to  the  Alabama  Indians  in  East  Texas. 

In  the  town  of  Wharton,  was  a  tiny  church  in  1909,  with 
a  Ladies’  Aid  Society  of  four  members.  Brave  and  pathetic 
is  their  record  that  their  first  interest  was  in  re-building  their 
church  edifice,  just  blown  away.  In  1911  they  introduced  Bible 
Study  and  in  1915  were  enrolled  in  the  Brazos  Presbyterial 
as  a  Woman’s  Auxiliary.  No  wonder  it  has  been  said  that 
Texas  women  do  things! 


3  44 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


PRESBYTERIAL  ORGANIZATION. 

For  Worth  Union — 1901. 

The  organized  mission  work  of  the  Presbyterian  women 
of  Texas,  began  on  November  8th,  1901,  when  the  Woman’s 
Missionary  Union  of  Fort  Worth  Presbytery  was  organized  in 
the  First  Presbyterian  Church  of  Fort  Worth.  Dr.  Chas.  R. 
Hyde,  the  pastor,  and  his  wife,  were  very  much  interested 
and  helped  in  perfecting  a  constitution.  Rev.  John  V.  McCall 
and  Mrs.  J.  C.  Terrell  were  also  leaders  in  the  new  organi¬ 
zation  and  Mrs.  Terrell  was  chosen  President  and  held  -the 
office  for  seven  years.  There  were  a  number  of  delegates  present 
from  different  parts  of  the  Presbytery.  The  women  of  Fort 
Worth  Presbyterial  have  always  been  deeply  interested  in  the 
evangelistic  work  of  their  field  and  have  contributed  yearly 
several  hundred  dollars  to  the  support  of  the  evangelist  and  his 
helpers. 

Western  Texas — 1902. 

In  the  .Spring  of  1902,  Rev.  R.  M.  Hall,  the  pastor  of 
Westminster  Church,  San  Antonio,  and  the  chairman  of  the 
Foreign  Mission  Committee  of  Western  Texas  Presbytery,  wrote 
personal  letters  to  a  number  of  ladies  over  the  Presbytery, 
asking  them  to  form  a  Missionary  Union.  They  met  in  June 
1902,  in  his  church  and  formed  the  organization,  with  Mrs. 
J.  M.  Purcell  as  President.  Western  Presbytery  covers  the 
largest  territory  of  any  of  the  organizations.  “Tex.-Mex,” 
our  Industrial  Institute  at  Kingsville,  has  been  the  chief  ob¬ 
ject  of  interest  of  this  Presbyterial.  They  have  contributed 
much  to  its  establishment  and  support.  For  eight  years,  Mrs. 
Virginia  C.  Staples  has  been  employed  as  Field  Worker  and 
her  '  going  in  and  out”  organizing  and  encouraging  the  women 
has  been  of  incalculable  value.  Mrs.  Staples  is  a  trained 
Bible  teacher  and  skilful  and  persistent  personal  worker.  For 
a  number  of  years,  she  worked  with  Dr.  Dogget,  the  Evangelist 
as  he  went  throughout  the  frontier  of  a  Presbytery  as  large 


TEXAS 


345 


as  the  State  of  Georgia.  After  his  work  was  discontinued 
she  gave  herself  and  her  time  freely  to  visiting  church  societies, 
strengthening  them  and  organizing  new  societies  in  infant 
churches,  and  everywhere  establishing  Prayer  Bands  and  classes 
for  Bible  Study. 

Brazos  Union — 1902. 

Pursuant  to  the  call  of  Rev.  C.  E.  Sullivan,  Chairman 
of  Foreign  Missions,  and  on  the  recommendation  of  Brazos 
Presbytery,  the  Brazos  Missionary  Union  was  organized  on  Oc¬ 
tober  20th,  1902,  at  Galveston,  with  Miss  Carrie  Smith,  of  Na- 
vasota  as  President.  This  Presbyterial  has  always  been  specially 
interested  in  work  among  the  Mexicans,  helping  in  the  churches 
of  West  Texas  and  in  the  Mission  at  Bay  City.  Navasota 
has  a  Negro  mission. 

Dallas  Union — 1902. 

Dallas  Missionary  Union  was  organized  in  November. 
1902.  The  following  ministers  assisted  in  the  organizations: 
Rev.  S.  L.  Rieves,  of  McKinney,  Dr.  W.  L.  Lowrance,  of  Oak 
Cliff,  Dr.  Robert  Hill,  of  Westminster,  and  Dr.  J.  O.  Reavis, 
then  pastor  of  the  First  Church  of  Dallas,  where  the  meeting 
was  held.  Mrs.  J.  C.  Erwin,  of  McKinney,  was  the  first 
President  and  remained  in  office  eight  years.  The  first  Con¬ 
stitution  was  patterned  after  that  of  East  Hanover  Missionary 
Union.  Dallas  Presbyterial  has  always  had  many  strong  leaders 
and  has  developed  many  more.  They  have  been  peculiarly 
blessed  in  having  efficient  Secretaries.  The  women  gave  their 
Presbytery  a  tent  in  which  many  revival  meetings  have  been 
held,  a  work  that  has  been  greatly  blessed.  At  present,  they 
are  raising  a  Church  Erection  Fund,  and  turning  it  over  tc 
the  Home  Mission  Committee  to  be  loaned  to  weak  congre¬ 
gations  desiring  to  build. 

Paris  Union — 1903. 

In  the  fall  of  1903,  at  the  invitation  of  Mrs.  J.  N.  Mc- 
Farlane,  a  few  of  the  women  of  Paris  Presbytery  came  together 


346 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


in  the  old  building  of  the  First  Presbyterian  Church  of  Tex¬ 
arkana,  to  organize  the  Paris  Union.  Mrs.  McFarlane  was 
made  President,  but  moved  out  of  the  Presbytery  before  the 
spring  meeting,  so  when  they  met  at  that  time,  they  had  nc 
President.  Mrs.  W.  L.  Hickman  succeeded  her  and  has  held 
various  offices  in  the  Presbyterial,  never  missing  an  annual 
meeting.  At  present,  there  are  sixteen  Auxiliaries  represented 
with  a  membership  of  four  hundred.  This  Presbyterial  has 
raised  the  funds  to  buy  a  manse  for  the  Presbyterial  Evangelist. 
This  is  located  at  Mt.  Pleasant  and  is  called  by  its  present  oc¬ 
cupants,  “Shepherd’s  Rest.” 

El  Paso — 1905. 

In  the  Spring  of  1905,  at  the  home  of  Mrs.  B.  S.  Van 
Tuyl,  Colorado,  Texas,  the  El  Paso  Union  or  Presbyterial 
was  organized.  Mrs.  W.  L.  Downing  was  the  first  President. 
Mrs.  Van  Tuyl  was  the  first  Treasurer  and  held  office  until 
1909.  She  was  then  elected  President  and  has  continued  in 
office  till  the  present  time.  Mrs.  J.  J.  McDowell  has  also 
been  an  officer  since  El  Paso  was  organized,  except  for  two 
years.  El  Paso  Presbyterial  is  one  of  magnificent  distances. 
The  President  lives  at  Colorado  City,  on  the  Eastern  border 
and  is  thirteen  hours  travel  by  rail  from  El  Paso;  nine  hours 
from  Lubbock  on  the  plains;  Carlsbad  is  a  day’s  journey,  if 
you  leave  at  midnight;  then  Lovington,  New  Mexico,  is  77 
miles  by  auto  from  Carlsbad.  One  of  its  auxiliaries  is  80 
miles  from  a  railroad.  Two  Auxiliaries  that  are  40  miles 
apart  consider  themselves  near  neighbors  and  close  friends. 
Yet  these  women  do  things.  When  the  Synodical  was  raising 
the  Phillips’  Memorial  Scholarship  Fund,  this,  one  of  the 
smaller  Presbyterials,  was  the  first  to  send  in  its  quota.  While 
largely  a  Home  Mission  Presbyterial,  El  Paso  has  always  given 
generously  to  Foreign  Missions. 


TEXAS 


347 


Central  Texas,  1905. 

Central  Texas  organization  took  place  in  June,  1905,  in 
the  Second  Church,  Waco.  The  first  President  was  Mrs.  J.  J 
Grier,  \\ife  of  the  pastor  of  the  Second  Church.  This  Presby- 
terial  has  about  thirty  Auxiliaries,  nearly  every  one  of  which 
contributes  to  all  the  causes;  has  Mission  Study  Classes,  Ob¬ 
serves  Home  Mission  Week  in  November,  and  Foreign  Mission 
Week  in  February.  Nearly  all  their  contributions  are  raised 
by  free-will  offerings.  Since  1907,  they  have  been  specially 
interested  in  the  Evangelism  of  their  Presbytery  and  have  con¬ 
tributed  liberally  for  that  purpose  through  the  Home  Mission 
Committee  of  the  Presbytery. 

It  was  Central  Presbyterial  that  inaugurated  the  plan  of 
the  Synodical  President  attending  the  annual  meetings  of  each 
Presbyterial.  One  member,  Mrs.  Cooper  Sansom,  a  member 
of  the  Georgetown  Society,  paid  all  of  the  expenses  of  the 
first  year’s  visitation.  Then  they  overtured  the  several  Pres- 
byterials  to  bear  their  pro  rata  share  of  the  expenses  each 
year. 

I  his  is  one  of  the  best  developed  Presbyterials  in  the 
Synod,  which  is  largely  due  to  the  faithful  efforts  of  Mrs. 
W.  C.  Hutton,  who  was  President  for  twelve  years.  She  was 
zealous  to  promote  Woman’s  Work  in  every  way  possible  and 
was  of  the  greatest  assistance  not  only  in  her  Presbyterial 
but  throughout  the  State  in  developing  the  aims  and  purpose  of 
the  Auxiliary.  To  memorialize  Mrs.  Hutton  and  her  work, 
Central  Texas  Presbyterial  has  established  a  scholarship  to 
educate  a  girl  at  the  Training  School  in  Richmond,  Va.,  naming 
it  the  “Sallie  Hutton  Scholarship.” 

Eastern  Texas — 1907. 


Eastern  Texas  Union  was  officially  organized  in  1907,  at 
San  Augustine.  Previously,  there  had  been  a  meeting  of  the 
Orange  Church  and  First  Church,  Beaumont,  relative  to  the 
matter.  Their  first  meeting  was  unique.  Two  women  came 


348 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


from  Palestine  to  Houston,  a  day’s  journey,  spending  the  night 
in  Houston.  Next  day  a  member  from  Orange  and  one  from 
Beaumont  joined  them,  and  another  day’s  travel  brought  them 
to  San  Augustine,  where  the  Presbytery  was  in  session.  The 
pastor’s  wife  and  one  other  woman  met  this  party  and  the  six 
drafted  the  Constitution.  Not  one  had  ever  attended  a  Mis¬ 
sionary  Union,  but  they  knew  the  need  of  their  Presbytery,  in 
extent  larger  than  Maryland  and  Delaware.  At  that  time,  there 
were  only  two  Missionary  Societies  in  the  Presbytery.  Mrs. 
L.  J.  Davis,  of  Beaumont,  has  been  President  from  the  be¬ 
ginning  and  has  labored  faithfully  and  against  great  odds. 
The  population  is  very  shifting  in  the  lumber  regions,  yet 
Auxiliaries  have  been  formed  in  many  of  these  outlying  towns. 
7'his  year  they  have  raised  $715.00  to  buy  a  Ford  car  and 
build  a  garage  for  Rev.  C.  W.  Chambers,  Missionary  to  the 
Alabama  Indians  in  Polk  County,  Texas.  Last  year  they  gave 
him  an  invalid’s  chair  to  use  in  his  work,  for  he  must  needs 
be  nurse  and  doctor  as  well  as  preacher  and  lawyer  to  that 
small  tribe  of  200  Indians. 

Brownwood — 1 908. 

The  last  Presbyterial  Missionary  Union  organized  was 
Brownwood.  The  date  was  April  8th,  1908.  The  organiza¬ 
tion  took  place  at  San  Angelo,  and  Mrs.  A.  J.  Baker,  of  San 
Angelo  was  elected  President.  They  had  no  Missionary  So¬ 
cieties  at  that  time,  their  work  in  this  Home  Mission  Field 
being  all  of  a  local  nature.  Now,  every  organization  is  pat¬ 
terned  after  the  Auxiliary  plan  and  in  the  past  six  years  their 
membership  has  increased  from  131  to  228,  and  their  gifts  to 
benevolences  have  increased  185  per  cent.  Only  four  churches 
were  represented  in  the  first  organization  and  the  germ  of  life 
often  flickered,  but  Mrs.  Dullnig,  the  Synodical  President, 
helped  and  encouraged  them  by  her  visits  and  now  they  can 
stand  alone.  In  1910,  when  invited  to  join  the  State  Union, 
they  said  they  were  “too  young  and  inexperineced,”  so  not 


TEXAS 


349 


until  1912  did  they  pay  Synodical  dues,  and  in  1913,  they 
adopted  the  new  Constitution,  came  into  the  Synodical  and 
became  a  full-fledged  Presbyterial. 

Their  chief  work  has  been  to  educate  and  enthuse  their 
own  organizations  along  the  lines  of  the  Auxiliary  plan.  Mrs. 
Bristow  W.  Gray  is  the  efficient  President  of  this  Presbyterial. 


Mrs  Barbaraj  Dulnig-,  a  leader  in 
Texas  organization. 


SYNODICAL  ORGANIZATION— 1906. 

The  initial  move  in  this  direction  seems  to  have  been 
made  at  the  Fort  Worth  Missionary  Union  in  its  third  annual 
session  with  the  Cleburne  Church,  April  7th,  1904.  The 
following  resolution  was  there  adopted: 

“The  Woman’s  Missionary  Union  of  Fort  Worth  Presby- 


3  50 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


tery  believes  it  would  be  wise  to  have  a  Synodieal  Conference 
of  representatives  from  the  various  Unions  of  the  Synod  and 
appoints  its  President  such  a  representative,  and  requests 
the  other  Unions  of  the  Synod  to  appoint  a  like  representative 
to  meet  during  the  sessions  of  Synod,  for  the  purpose  of  plan¬ 
ning  to  secure  a  visit  from  some  returned  Missionary  at  each 
of  their  sessions.” 

A  meeting  was  called  for  October  4th,  1904,  at  Austin. 
There  were  five  organized  Unions  at  this  time:  Fort  Worth. 
Western,  Brazos,  Dallas  and  Paris.  Besides  Mrs.  J.  C.  Terrell, 
who  was  elected  Chairman,  there  were  present  at  this  meeting, 
Mrs.  Reid  and  Mrs.  Fred  Robbins,  from  Brazos;  Mrs.  Wilson 
from  Western  and  one  other  whose  name  we  failed  to  learn. 
The  next  fall,  no  conference  was  held;  but  in  the  Fall  of 
1906,  at  Dallas,  a  Constitution  and  By-Laws  were  drawn  up 
and  officers  elected.  Mrs.  Chris  G.  Dulling  was  made  Presi¬ 
dent,  to  which  office  she  was  annually  elected  for  fourteen 
years  (1906-1920).  The  movement  to  organize  a  Synodical 
Union  developed  about  the  same  time  in  Virginia  and  Texas, 
and  these  have  the  honor  of  being  the  first  two  Synodical  Unions 
in  the  Assembly. 

The  chief  purpose  of  the  first  gathering  was  to  try  to 
arrange  consecutively  the  dates  of  meeting  of  the  various 
Unions,  so  that  the  same  Foreign  Missionary  could  be  present 
at  the  meeting  of  each.  This  was  to  economize  the  time 
of  the  Missionary  and  to  save  considerable  expense.  The 
plan  was  accepted  later  by  all  of  the  Synodicals,  as  part  of  their 
duties. 

For  the  first  six  years,  the  Synodical  Union  had  no  special 
recognition  from  Synod,  but  in  1910,  at  Sherman,  it  wa« 
formally  recognized  and  a  member  of  Synod  was  appointed 
Chairman  of  Woman’s  Work. 

In  the  Spring  of  1916,  the  Synodical  undertook  to  raise 
through  its  Presbyterials,  a  Scholarship  Fund  in  our  Assembly 
Training  School.  This  Scholarship  was  to  be  called  the  “Texas 


TEXAS 


351 


Phillips  Memorial’'  in  memory  of  Dr.  A.  L.  Phillips,  who 
had  done  so  much  for  the  young  life  of  our  church.  Mrs.  J. 
W.  Smiley  was  responsible  for  the  raising  of  the  $2,000.00 
necessary  to  secure  the  Scholarship,  which  she  pushed  to  a 
successful  completion  in  1918.  Already,  one  young  woman 
has  received  benefit  from  its  income.  Later  the  fund  was 
increased  to  $3,000. 

Mrs.  J.  C.  Brock  was  elected  Synodical  President  in  1920. 
Under  her  efficient  leadership  Mission  Plaza  was  built  by  the 
Synodical  at  Kerrville,  as  a  home  for  returned  Missionaries. 
Also  a  home  was  erected  at  Texas-Mexican  Institute  for  Dr. 
and  Mrs.  Skinner.  In  1923  the  sum  of  $25,000  was  rasied 
to  assist  in  building  a  school  for  Mexican  girls  in  Texas. 

The  Kerrville  Encampment,  the  Presbyterian  Summer 
Conference  spot  of  Texas,  has  received  much  help  from  the 
Texas  Auxiliary.  Three  hundred  tents  were  floored  and  walled 
in  one  year,  again  the  auditorium  was  enlarged  and  floored, 
and  in  each  succeeding  year,  the  women  have  added  some 
equipment  to  the  grounds  until,  in  1920,  they  built  the  “Bar¬ 
bara  Dullnig  Building,”  a  like  credit  to  Texas  as  the  “Wins- 
borough  Building”  is  to  Montreat.  Synodical  also  has  a  part 
in  arranging  the  programs  for  the  Conferences. 

The  Dullnig  Building  is  a  lasting  testimony  of  the  love 
and  appreciation  which  the  women  of  Texas  bear  for  their 
former  Synodical  President.  She  had  had  splendid  training  for 
the  office  as  a  Bible  teacher  in  her  home  church,  then  when 
Western  Texas  Union  was  organized  she  was  made  the  first 
Treasurer,  serving  for  two  years,  then  became  President  of 
the  Union.  For  four  years,  she  directed  this  body,  and  then 
was  made  Field  Secretary,  an  office  of  great  importance,  where 
so  much  ground  has  to  be  covered.  After  four  years  of  splen¬ 
did  training  in  this  capacity,  she  became  the  President  of  the 
Synodical.  Over  and  over  again,  she  toured  the  State,  visiting 
all  of  the  Presbyterials,  strengthening  and  encouraging  weak 
organizations  and  getting  that  personal  touch  which  enabled 


352 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


her  to  direct  the  growing  work  of  this  tremendous  Synodical 
in  a  most  efficient  manner.  How  she  made  those  long  jour¬ 
neys  over  the  State  in  the  early  years  is  past  explanation,  but 
they  were  made  by  train,  buggy  or  ambulance,  and  often  afoot 
for  many  miles,  making  connections  at  all  hours  of  the  day 
and  night.  Some  of  those  early  small  societies  which  she 
visited,  are  now  among  the  strongest  in  the  State.  For  the 
first  two  years,  the  struggle  was  very  hard,  the  Synodical  Union 
consisted  of  only  ten  representatives,  the  President  and  one 
delegate  from  each  Presbyterial,  but  after  two  years  of  much 
writing  and  visiting,  the  societies  of  all  the  Presbyteries 
had  been  organized,  into  Presbyterial  Unions,  and  in  1908,  a 
full  meeting  was  held  at  Texarkana.  From  that  time,  the 
work  continued  to  be  better  systematized  and  planned.  In 
1915,  Mrs.  Dullnig  was  honored  by  being  made  Chairman  of 
the  Woman’s  Advisory  Committee  for  two  years. 

Beginnings  of  Texan-Mexican  Institute. 

The  value  of  “Tex-Mex”  is  gradually  being  borne  intc 
the  minds  of  our  Church,  representing,  as  it  does,  one  of  its 
most  important  Home  Mission  endeavors.  This  institution 
owes  its  inception  largely  to  the  thought  and  interest  of  Mrs. 
Minnie  Gunn  Campbell,  who,  with  her  husband,  Rev.  R.  D. 
Campbell,  has  been  so  closely  associated  with  the  Texas-Mexi- 
can  problem  since  1899.  For  several  years  before  her  mar¬ 
riage,  she  had  been  a  missionary  in  Mexico,  and  from  that 
time,  was  impressed  with  the  need  of  an  industrial  school 
where  boys  could  receive  a  Christian  education  while  working 
their  way  through. 

But  the  “mother  of  Tex-Mex,”  is  Mrs.  Julia  Barfield 
Skinner  (Mrs.  J.  W.  Skinner).  It  was  in  January,  1912,  that 
work  began  at  Tex-Mex.  Mrs,  Skinner  was  identified  with 
every  step  of  progress  from  the  beginning.  It  was  pioneer 
work  of  the  most  rugged  sort,  wrought  out  with  few  con¬ 
veniences  and  many  hindrances.  To  this  work,  Mrs.  Skinnei 


TEXAS 


353 

brought  a  varied  and  efficient  equipment  of  experience,  nat¬ 
ural  ability  and  inherited  traditions.  Mrs.  Skinner  is  a  direct 
descendant  of  Jane  McAlister,  of  Londonderry  fame.  (See 
Kentucky  history.)  A  native  of  Lexington,  Kentucky,  she  was 
nurtured  in  the  culture  and  refinement  of  a  family  with  treas¬ 
ured  traditions.  She  became  the  wife  and  helpmate  of  a  min- 


Mrs.  J.  W.  Skinner,  Texas-Mexican  Institute. 


ister  of  the  Gospel  and  enriched  her  life  by  the  experience  and 
sacrifice  of  motherhood.  For  over  twenty-five  years,  she  gave 
freely  of  the  best  she  had  as  a  preacher’s  wife  in  three  par¬ 
ishes,  to  the  teaching  and  moulding  of  the  lives  of  children 
and  youth.  It  was  this  large  equipment  which,  in  1912,  she 
brought  and  consecrated  to  the  mission  of  Tex-Mex, 


354 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


The  school  was  then  in  a  wilderness,  five  miles  away  in 
the  brush.  There  were  no  neighbors,  not  even  a  road,  a  pass- 
way  had  been  hacked  out  of  the  brush,  but  not  even  grubbed. 
The  iron  bridges  over  the  two  creeks  had  not  been  built.  One 
had  to  climb  down  the  banks  and  wade  the  streams,  and  if  there 
came  a  heavy  rain  and  the  stream  ran  full  and  swift,  you 
waited  until  the  flood  passed.  It  was  before  the  day  that 
Fords  were  common  and  a  trip  to  Kingsville  in  the  big  wagon 
with  the  mules,  was  an  undertaking.  Tex-Mex.  became  her 
little,  limited,  lonesome  world.  There  were  times  when  nc 
mail  came  for  a  week,  and  other  times  when  no  friendly  face 
from  without  crossed  the  threshold  in  a  month.  The  equip¬ 
ment  of  the  school  was  long  delayed,  use  being  made  of  tem¬ 
porary  shacks.  The  mule-barn  was  taken  over  for  school 
purposes,  and  what  was  to  have  been  the  feed  shed,  became  the 
common  mess-hall.  Funds  were  supplied  in  such  scanty  al¬ 
lowance  that  domestic  help  was  out  of  the  question,  and  teacher- 
help  reduced  to  the  lowest  quantity.  In  this  emergency,  Mrs. 
Skinner  stepped  into  every  position.  In  the  school-room  she 
took  a  teacher’s  full  schedule  and  even  more,  for  the  first  “man 
teacher”  wished  to  prepare  for  the  Theological  Seminary,  and 
she  taught  him,  at  night,  Latin  and  Greek.  In  addition  to  that, 
she  prepared  with  her  own  hands,  the  meals  for  the  teachers’ 
table,  and  supervised  the  meals  for  the  Mexican  boys.  There 
were  times  not  a  few  when,  with  the  help  of  a  little  Mexican 
boy,  she  carried  through  the  entire  preparation  and  serving  of 
meals  for  all  Tex.-Mex.  She  had  the!  laundry  work  to  super¬ 
vise,  and,  provoked  by  bungling,  had  often  to  lend  her  own 
hands.  There  was  always  mending  to  be  done,  and  to  teach 
Mexican  boys  habits  of  cleanliness  and  decency  seemed  at 
times  almost  impossible. 

The  financial  stringency  made  if  necessary  for  Dr.  Skin¬ 
ner  to  make  frequent  and  sometimes  prolonged  trips  visiting 
churches,  to  arouse  interest  and  secure  assistance.  Mrs.  Skinner 
was  often  alone  at  the  School  with  the  Mexican  boys.  During 


TEXAS 


355 


the  years  of  the  Revolution,  the  love  and  loyalty  of  these 
boys  greatly  endeared  them  to  her.  She  was  without  fear  with 
them  as  her  friends  and  protectors.  But  the  fact  that  soldiers 
were  thought  necessary  in  places  a  few  miles  distant,  sug¬ 
gests  a  story  of  faith  and  heroism  in  the  life  of  the  Mother 
of  Tex.-Mex. 

Foreign  Missionaries. 

El  Paso  Presbyterial  has  the  honor  of  claiming  Mrs.  M. 
L  Swinehart,  the  efficient  and  dearly  loved  missionary  of 
Rwangu,  Korea;  also  Mrs.  Ethel  Taylor  Wharton,  who,  with 
her  husband,  Rev.  Conway  Wharton,  is  laboring  in  Africa. 


VIRGINIA 


3  57 


VIRGINIA 


358 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


Mrs.  Sarah  M.  Price,  Virginia.  The  first  President 
of  the  first  Presbyterial  Union  in  the 
Southern  Church. 


VIRGINIA 


3  50 


VIRGINIA 

In  recent  months  an  out-door  shrine  was  dedicated  in 
Jamestown  to  commemorate  the  first  celebration  of  the  Holy 
Communion  held  in  this  country  in  1607.  At  that  time,  Rev. 
Robert  Hunt,  upon  landing  on  the  island,  held  a  service  and 
administered  the  sacrament  to  the  little  company  who  kneeled 
around  the  communion  rail  formed  by  placing  a  rough-hewn 
tree  between  two  trees. 

All  denominations  gathered  to  do  honor  to  this  impressive 
memorial  ceremony,  and  hearts  were  thrilled  at  the  thought 
of  struggles  and  privations  of  our  forefathers,  as  they  claimed 
this  land  of  ours  in  the  name  of  the  “Captain  of  our  Salvation.” 

Not  until  a  century  later  did  the  Presbyterian  Church  take 
its  beginnings  in  Virginia.  Owing  to  the  religious  wars  and 
persecutions  of  the  Eighteenth  Century,  large  numbers  of  im¬ 
migrants  from  Scotland  and  the  North  of  Ireland  poured  into 
Pennsylvania,  settling  along  the  Atlantic  slope  as  far  South 
as  Virginia,  and  the  Carolinas,  and  pushing  into  the  interior. 
They  were  a  company  of  hardy  and  enterprising  pioneers, 
establishing  the  benefits  of  civilization  and  Christianity  where- 
ever  they  settled,  and  manifesting  a  deep  reverence  for  the  in¬ 
stitutions  of  religion. 

The  Synod  of  Philadelphia  was  constituted  in  1717  and 
in  the  records  of  1719  are  found  some  notices  of  a  congregation 
designated  as  “the  People  of  Potomoki”  in  Virginia,  petition¬ 
ing  to  have  a  minister  sent  them.  In  1722  the  Synod  of  Phila¬ 
delphia  appointed  a  commission  to  visit  and  preach  to  these 
dissenting  families  in  Virginia.  A  letter  signed  by  William 
Gooch,  the  Governor  of  Virginia,  in  1738,  in  answer  to  a 
petition  from  the  Synod  of  Philadelphia,  regarding  Virginia’s 
settlers,  states:  “No  interruption  shall  be  given  to  any  minister 
of  your  profession  .  .  .  so  as  they  conform  to  the  rules 


360 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


prescribed  by  the  Act  of  Toleration  in  England,  by  taking  the 
oaths  and  registering  the  places  of  their  meeting  and  behaving 
themselves  peacably  towards  the  Government.” 

These  Presbyterian  congregations  existed  in  the  Valley 
of  Virginia  very  early  in  the  Eighteenth  Century,  but  were  not 


Mrs.  J.  Calvin  Stewart,  Virginia. 


supplied  with  ministers  until  long  afterwards.  As  the  Kirk 
of  Scotland  supplied  Philadelphia  Synod,  so  Philadelphia  sup¬ 
plied  Virginia.  The  population  of  the  Valley  had  increased 
so  greatly,  far  outstripping  religious  advantages,  that  their 
spiritual  destitution  was  a  constant  anxiety  to  the  parent  Synod.. 
From  1748,  for  a  series  of  years,  the  Synod  of  Philadelphia, 
sent  missionaries  to  Virginia.  In  1786  numbers  had  so  in¬ 
creased  that  the  Synod  of  New  York  and  Jhil^cJ^iphia  under- 


VIRGINIA 


361 


took  a  reorganization  of  the  entire  body  and  a  division  of  the 
old  Synod  into  four  new  Synods:  New  York,  New  Jersey, 
Philadelphia,  Virginia  and  the  Carolinas. 

One  of  the  earliest  congregations  in  Virginia  was  in 
Augusta  County,  known  as  the  Stone  Meeting  House,  eight 
miles  below  Staunton.  This  was  fortified  with  mounds  and 
ditches,  the  remains  of  which  are  seen  today.* 

A  glimpse  into  the  lives  and  character  of  some  of  the 
women  of  the  early  churches  of  Virginia,  comes  from  the  data 
gathered  by  Roanoke  Presbyterial. 

There  are  three  whose  names  stand  out  with  particular 
distinction  for  their  deeds  of  charity,  their  piety  and  their  hos¬ 
pitality  to  the  early  Presbyterian  Missionaries  in  this  part  of 
Virginia : 

Mrs.  Joseph  Morton. 

The  first  settler  of  Charlotte  County  was  Col.  Joseph 
Morton.  The  log  cabin  built  by  him  in  1735  was  standing 
until  a  few  years  ago.  He  and  his  wife  were  brought  up 
in  the  Established  Church  of  England,  but  on  one  of  the 
preaching  tours  of  the  Rev.  Samuel  Davies,  an  early  Pres¬ 
byterian  evangelist  in  the  country,  they  united  with  the 
Presbyterians  and  not  long  after,  he,  with  a  number  of  others, 
built  Old  Briery  Church  on  the  edge  of  Prince  Edward  and 
Charlotte  Counties,  Virginia.  Dr.  James  Alexander,  in  his 
memoirs  of  his  father,  Dr.  Archibald  Alexander,  who  preached 
at  Briery  Church  from  1795-1797,  and  later  became  first  Pro¬ 
fessor  of  Princeton  Theological  Seminary,  often  speaks  of  Mrs. 
Joseph  Morton.  She  lived  to  the  advanced  age  of  ninety-two, 
was  a  most  pious  woman,  opened  her  home  continually  for  the 
preaching  of  the  Gospel  by  the  Presbyterian  evangelists  of 
those  early  days,  and  was,  in  season  and  out,  always  abounding 
in  the  work  of  the  Lord.  Dr.  Alexander  says  she  told  him 
that  often  she  would  be  alone  with  her  children,  in  her  house, 


*The  abtJve  data  is  gathered  from  Davidson’s  History  of  Presbyterianism. 


562 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


in  the  forest,  during  the  absence  of  her  husband,  with  nc 
neighbor  for  thirty  miles. 

Mrs.  Pauline  Cabell  Le  Grand. 

Old  Briery  Church  furnishes  another  notable  example  of 
an  “elect  lady”  in  the  person  of  Mrs.  Edmund  Read,  who  later 
married  one  of  the  most  noted  Presbyterian  evangelists  in  this 
part  of  the  South,  Rev.  Nash  Le  Grand. 

Her  maiden  name  was  Pauline  Cabell,  sister  of  General 
Wm.  F.  Cabell,  of  Virginia.  She  was  born  in  1763  and  died 
in  1843,  and  was  universally  known,  in  her  large  connection, 
as  Aunt  Le  Grand.  About  the  year  1788,  during  the  great  re¬ 
ligious  revival  of  that  time,  she  made  a  public  profession  of 

her  faith,  and  joined  the  Presbyterian  Church  under  the  min- 

* 

istry  of  the  Rev.  John  Blair  Smith,  D.  D.,  one  of  the  first 
Presidents  of  Hampden-Sidney  College. 

In  “The  Cabells  and  their  Kin”  are  found  these  words 
about  her:  “Her  Christian  career  was  begun  with  a  zeal  cor¬ 
responding  with  the  peculiar  zeal  of  her  character.  She  was 
a  steady  and  liberal  contributor  to  the  funds  of  the  Bible 
Society,  the  Tract,  the  Sabbath  School,  Education,  Missionary 
and  Colonization  Societies,  and  to  Union  Theological  Semi¬ 
nary.  Her  wealth  was  largely  dispensed  in  acts  of  charity.” 
The  Hon.  Hugh  Blair  Grigsby,  for  many  years  President  of 
the  Virginia  Historical  Society,  says  she  was  a  burning  and 
shining  light  in  the  Presbyterian  Church. 

In  the  latter  years  of  her  life  she  moved  to  Charlotte 
Court  House,  to  be  near  Village  Church,  built  there  in  1825 
and  here  the  old  sessional  records  refer  frequently  to  the  meet¬ 
ings  of  session  in  the  office  of  her1  porticoed  manor  house,  just 
opposite  the  church.  (The  old  house  was  burned  long  ago. 
but  this  same  office  is  now  the  home  of  Mrs.  Chas.  M.  Huche- 
son,  President  of  Roanoke  Presbyterial.)  A  whole  Presbytery 
was  sometimes  sheltered  under  her  hospitable  roof.  Dr.  Alex¬ 
ander,  in  the  biography  of  his  father,  says:  “Mrs.  Le  Grand 


VIRGINIA 


363 


was  widely  known  and  honored  among  Christians  of  every  name 
in  Virginia.  It  is  possible  that  no  house  in  the  land  ever 
opened  its  doors  to  more  ministers  of  the  Gospel.  She  was 
full  of  zeal  and  unwearied  in  her  endeavors  to  second  all  gospel 
labors.” 

Mrs.  Susanna  Watkins  Hunt. 

Susanna  Watkins  was  the  second  daughter  of  Col.  Joel 
Watkins,  of  Revolutionary  fame.  She  was  a  woman  of  much 
character,  ability  and  piety,  the  product  of  those  early  years 
of  Presbyterianism  in  Charlotte  County  and  “Village  Church.” 
She  was  first  married  to  Dr.  Wm.  P.  Hunt  and  after  his  death, 
became  the  wife  of  Rev.  Moses  Hoge,  D.  D.,  of  Winchester, 
Va.  She  gave  most  liberally  to  the  founding  of  Union  Theo¬ 
logical  Seminary.  Her  son,  Rev.  Thos.  P.  Hunt,  of  Maryland, 
in  writing  of  her  outstanding  works  in  her  church  and  com¬ 
munity,  tells  of  an  unbeliever  being  brought  to  Christ  by  wit¬ 
nessing  her  death-bed  testimony  of  the  power  of  Christ  in  her 
life. 


A  record  of  the  earliest  woman’s  organizations  has  been 
contributed  by  five  of  the  eight  Presbyterials  of  Virginia. 

EAST  HANOVER  PRESBYTERY— 181 7-1888. 

The  Female  Bible  Society  of  Richmond. 

The  first  woman’s  organization  of  Virginia  and  one  of  the 

\, 

first  in  the  South,  was  that  of  the  “Female  Bible  Society  of 
Richmond  and  Manchester,”  which  was  organized  in  1817,  as 
an  auxiliary  to  the  Bible  Society  of  Virginia.  This  society 
was  interdenominational  and  held  meetings  annually  at  their 
respective  churches,  ministers  of  different  churches  presiding. 
Op  March  31st,  1834 — they  promised  to  raise  $1,000  that  same 
vear  to  send  the  sacred  Scriptures  for  distribution  among  the 
heathen. 


364 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


With  the  exception  of  the  Ladies’  Educational  Society  of 
the  Second  Church,  Charleston,  S.  C.,  which  dates  back  to 
1809,  the  year  1817  marks  the  era  of  women’s  organizations  in 
the  Presbyterian  Church  in  the  South,  according  to  present 
information.  At  least  four  came  into  existence  at  that  time, 
one  in  Virginia,  in  North  Carolina,  Georgia  and  Tennessee. 

Petersburg — 1 819. 

Under  the  leadership  of  Dr.  John  Holt  Rice,  on  August 
23rd,  1819,  “according  to  public  notice”  as  it  was  quaintly 
announced,  sixteen  ladies  of  the  Tabb  Street  Church  Peters¬ 
burg,  Va.,  met  and  formed  themselves  into  a  Society  under  the 
name  of  “The  Female  Missionary  Association.”  They  elected 
a  Treasurer  and  Secretary,  and  a  committee  to  invite  new 
members  and  collect  the  subscriptions  and  send  them  to  the 
Auxiliary  Missionary  Society  of  the  Presbytery  of  East  Han¬ 
over.  No  record  was  kept  between  1848  and  1905,  though  it 
is  a  matter  of  distinct  memory  that  this  Society  was  reorganized 
in  1874.  This  Church  now  has  a  flourishing  organization 
under  the  Auxiliary-Circle  Plan. 

First  Church,  Richmond — 1820. 

In  1820,  during  the  pastorate  of  Dr.  John  Holt  Rice,  the 
women  of  the  First  Church,  Richmond,  Va.,  were  organized 
into  a  zealous  Society,  and  the  membership  was  divided  into 
groups  of  ten  each,  having  one  leader  to  “collect  the  dues.” 
(Dr.  Rice  was  a  man  of  forward  vision,  anticipating  the  Circle 
Plan  one  hundred  years.)  The  records  of  this  Society  were 
kept  for  about  twenty  years  and  then  nothing  can  be  found 
until  the  happenings  within  the  memory  of  the  older  members 
of  this  generation. 

This  church  now  has  a  most  successful  Woman’s  Auxili¬ 
ary,  fully  organized  on  the  plan  recommended  by  the  General 
Assembly. 


VIRGINIA 


365 


Third  Church,  Richmond — 1854. 

In  1854,  the  women  of  the  Third  Church,  Richmond  Va ... 
began  to  hold  a  regular  weekly  prayer-meeting;  and  later  the 
Foreign  Missionary  Society  was  born  out  of  this  prayer-meet¬ 
ing,  and  continued  in  the  home  of  Mrs.  Susan  Carrington,  who 
though  blind,  had  heavenly  visions  of  the  great  need  of  the 
Foreign  Mission  work.  This  society  was  known  for  its  deep 
spiritual  life,  and  for  its  free-will  offerings.  After  the  death 
of  Mrs.  Carrington  the  organization  languished,  but  was  later 
revived,  and  at  the  present  time  this  church  has  a  well  or¬ 
ganized  Auxiliary. 

From  Ashland,  Va.,  comes  this  message:  “Fifty  years 
ago  a  Circle  of  Industry  was  organized.”  But  this  had  no 
missionary  feature  until  1888,  when  the  Missionary  Society 
was  formed  and  they  joined  the  Union  of  East  Hanover.  From 
that  time  they  have  never  failed  to  send  their  representative 
to  the  meeting  of  the  higher  body. 

From  Blackstone  comes  this  unique  record:  “During  forty 
years  we  have  had  only  three  Presidents,  and  each  has  borne 
the  same  honored  name — ‘Rebekah  Epes.’  ” 

LEXINGTON  PRESBYTERY— 1819-1888. 

New  Providence  Church — 1819. 

The  Benevolent  Society  of  the  New  Providence  Church 
was  organized  in  1819.  In  April,  1874,  this  was  reorganized 
under  the  leadership  of  Mrs.  E.  D.  Junkin,  wife  of  the  min¬ 
ister,  and  mother  of  missionaries. 

New  Monmouth  had  a  Missionary  Society  as  early  as 
1873,  having  as  President  Mrs.  Luther  Morrison,  the  mothei 
of  a  great  missionary  to  the  Congo. 

And  the  Woman’s  Missionary  Society  of  Lexington  had 
the  distinction  of  being  organized  by  the  noted  writer  Mrs. 
Margaret  J.  Preston,  in  1887. 


366 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


Bethel,  Mt.  Carmel,  First  and  Second  of  Staunton,  all 
had  active  Societies  “in  the  seventies.” 

Any  report  of  Lexington  Presbyterial  would  be  incom¬ 
plete  without  a  mention  of  Miss  Lou  Withrow,  who  was  for 
thirty-five  years  the  President  of  the  Missionary  Society  of 
Waynesboro;  “in  her  zeal  for  missions  and  her  consecrated 
life,  she  is  one  of  the  outstanding  women  of  Lexington  Pres¬ 
bytery.” 

MONTGOMERY  PRESBYTERY— 1866. 

The  Mite  Society  of  Lynchburg. 

The  First  Presbyterian  Church  of  Lynchburg  has  one  of 
the  oldest  records  in  Montgomery  Presbytery,  having  been  or¬ 
ganized  in  1815. 

A  note  attached  to  the  minutes  of  a  sessional  meeting,  April 
16th,  1877,  states: 

“This  Church  contains  a  number  of  societies,  some  trace 
of  which  ought  to  appear  on  the  records. 

“The  Society  for  the  Education  of  Candidates  for  the 
Ministry,  is  composed  of  ladies  and  has  been  in  existence  for 
many  years  and  has  done  a  good  work. 

“The  Mite  Society,  also  composed  of  ladies,  has  existed 
for  many  years,  and  has  done  much  to  relieve  the  necessities 
of  the  poor  scholars  in  the  Sabbath  School. 

“The  Young  Men’s  Domestic  Missionary  Society  was  or¬ 
ganized  in  1875.  This  Society  has  supported  more  than  a 
year,  a  missionary  who  labors  in  the  two  chapels. 

“The  Young  Ladies’  Foreign  Missionary  Society  was  or¬ 
ganized  the  first  of  this  year  (1877).  It  promises  to  be  an 
efficient  aid  to  the  cause  of  Foreign  Missions.” 

The  exact  date  of  the  Educational  Society  is  not  known, 
but  one  of  the  candidates  for  the  ministry  which  it  was  help¬ 
ing  to  support  was  studying  in  Union  Seminary  in  1868. 

The  date  of  the  Mite  Society  is  also  lacking,  but  its  mem¬ 
bers  contributed  to  the  purchase  of  some  property  adjoining 


VIRGINIA 


367 


the  Church,  to  be  used  for  the  Female  Presbyterian  School, 
which  was  established  in  connection  with  the  Lynchburg  Church 
and  under  the  supervision  and  control  of  the  pastor,  Dr.  James 
B.  Ramsey.  The  date  of  the  deed  to  this  property  is  July  6th, 
1866. 

The  Educational  Society  was  merged  into  the  Missionary 
Society  and  the  Mite  Society  became  the  Aid  Society  in  the 
early  eighties. 

One  of  the  special  activities  of  the  Aid  Society,  beginning 
with  the  year  1889,  was  the  distribution  of  food  and  clothing 
on  certain  days  of  the  week  to  the  poor  of  Lynchburg.  They 
also,  for  many  years,  maintained,  on  Saturday  mornings,  an 
industrial  school  for  the  poor  girls  of  the  church  and  com¬ 
munity*  where  they  were  taught  to  sew  and  were  given  the 
garments  they  made. 

All  of  the  gifts  in  these  organizations  were  “free  will.” 
There  was  never  a  bazaar,  fair  supper  or  concert  to  “raise” 
money. 

The  children  were  not  left  uninstructed,  but  in  the  earl)- 
eighties,  were  banded  into  the  Earnest  Workers  under  the  lead¬ 
ership  of  the  pastor’s  wife,  Mrs.  W.  T.  Hall. 

By  the  year  1918,  all  departments  of  church  work  were 
cared  for  by  a  number  of  societies  for  the  old  and  young,  but 
at  that  time,  they  gave  up  their  identity  to  become  “The 
Woman’s  Auxiliary”  and  were  the  first  in  Montgomery  Pres¬ 
bytery  to  adopt  the  Circle  Plan. 

The  old  church  of  Fincastle  was  organized  in  1795.  When 
the  town  was  laid  off  in  1770,  lots  were  appropriated  for  the 
court  house  and  the  prison,  and  one  was  set  apart  for  the 
Church,  which  was  built  by  the  Church  of  England.  In  1785. 
the  “Act  of  Religious  Freedom”  was  passed  and  as  the  Fin¬ 
castle  community  was  made  up  largely  of  dissenters,  chiefly 
Presbyterian,  the  little  church  was  closed  for  a  number  of 
years,  and  then  opened  as  a  Presbyterian  Church.  The  women 
had  no  organization  until  1873,  when  they  formed  The  Ladies’ 


368 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


Missionary  Society.  Within  the  last  two  years,  it  has  been 
reorganized  under  the  Circle  Plan  into  the  Woman’s  Auxiliary. 

Christiansburg  Presbyterian  Church  is  one  of  the  older 
ones  in  Montgomery  Presbytery.  In  1825,  Dr.  Joseph  S.  Edie, 
of  Hampden-Sidney  College,  visited  the  little  town.  On  his 
first  Sunday  here,  he  heard  a  great  commotion  on  the  street 
and  found  that  practically  all  of  the  men  and  boys  of  the  town 
were  going  off  fox-hunting.  He  immediately  organized  a  Sun¬ 
day-school.  Two  years  later,  the  Presbyterian  Church  was 
organized  with  thirty-nine  members,  twenty-nine  of  whom  were 
women.  In  1880,  seven  women,  eager  to  do  some  active  work 
for  the  Master,  met  at  the  Manse  and  formed  the  Ladies  Mis¬ 
sionary  Society.  Its  first  President,  Mrs.  Eliza  Simpson,  con¬ 
tinued  in  office  for  thirty,  years. 

Roanoke  Presbytery — 1860-1888. 

The  Aid  Society  of  Village  Church,  Charlotte  County,  was 
organized  before  the  War  between  the  States,  disbanded  at 
that  time,  and  reorganized  in  the  early  seventies.  Their  activi¬ 
ties  supplied  the  church  with  beautiful  interior  decorations,  and 
their  bands  ministered  to  the  sick  and  dying,  and  helped  the 
needy.  They  taught  the  slaves  in  ante-bellum  days,  holding 
Sabbath  afternoon  Sunday-schools  for  them.  ^They  were  also 
most  active  in  supplying  the  soldiers  with  clothing  and  neces¬ 
sities. 

Old  Roanoke  Church,  in  Charlotte  County,  a  daughter  of 
Cub  Creek  Church,  the  first  in  the  county,  had  some  notable 
women  in  pioneer  days  before  the  Civil  W"ar  and  afterwards. 

Mrs.  Adaline  Carrington  was  most  active  in  her  labors 
among  the  negroes.  Mrs.  Henry  Rice  and  Mrs.  Bettie  Dennis 
worked  diligently  in  a  negro  Sunday-school,  from  which  the 
first  colored  Presbyterian  Church  in  Charlotte  resulted,  largely 
the  result  of  the  labors  of  these  two  Godly  women. 

West  Hanover  Presbytery — 1876-1888. 

The  earliest  records  of  woman’s  activities  in  West  Han- 


VIRGINIA 


36V 

over  is  a  Society  for  young  ladies  in  New  Church,  “who  worked 
for  the  African  Mission  and  to  paint  their  church.” 

At  the  Maysville  Church  there  was  an  Aid  Society  as 
early  as  1877,  the  President  being  Mrs.  W.  M.  Cabell,  a 
daughter  of  Rolfe  Eldridge,  who  was  a  direct  descendant  of 
Pocahontas. 

PRESBYTERIAL  ORGANIZATION. 

East  Hanover  Union — 1888. 

The  First  Presbyterial  Union  in  the  Southern  Assembly. 

During  the  seventy  years  preceding  1888,  there  were  small 
societies  springing  up  from  time  to  time,  generally  “Ladies' 
Aid  Societies,”  but  there  was  no  system  of  work,  nor  uni¬ 
formity  "in  records,  nor  accuracy  in  statistics.  Though  there 
was  much  concentration,  there  was  lack  of  information,  fel¬ 
lowship,  and  vision;  witness  the  “Penny  Societies,”  whose 
motto  was  “A  Penny  a  Week  and  a  Prayer.” 

In  September,  1887,  under  the  thought  and  leadership  of 
Mrs.  Sarah  Milner  Price,  the  Ladies’  Foreign  Missionary  Union 
of  Richmond  was  organized,  and  Mrs.  Price  made  President. 

In  March,  1888,  at  the  quarterly  meeting  of  this  Union, 
a  circular  letter  was  read,  urging  all  Southern  Presbyterian 
women  to  join  in  united  effort  for  Foreign  Missions;  this  letter 
was  from  Mrs.  Sibley,  of  Georgia,  and  Miss  Hanna,  of  Mis¬ 
souri.  It  was  decided  that  a  Presbyterial  Union  should  be 
undertaken,  and  all  Societies  in  the  Presbytery  asked  to  join. 
The  approval  of  the  Presbytery  was  secured.  And  so  began 
the  first  Presbyterial  in  the  Southern  Assembly. 

In  May,  1888,  at  an  adjourned  meeting,  the  organization 
was  completed,  and  all  officers  and  committees  appointed  for 
one  year.  Mrs.  S.  S.  Price  was  made  President.  Within  the 
first  year,  all  of  the  churches  had  been  asked  to  join  this  Union, 
and  at  the  end  of  the  first  year,  there  were  eighteen  societies, 
with  some  young  people,  and  some  Sunday-schools,  represent 
ing  twenty-two  churches,  in  this  organization. 


370 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


In  1893,  the  Presbytery  of  Norfolk  was  separated  from 
East  Hanover,  causing  the  Union  to  lose  from  its  membership 
many  valuable  helpers. 

From  1887  to  1904,  all  gifts  of  this  body  went  to  Foreign 
Missions,  the  larger  part  going  to  the  support  of  women  mis¬ 
sionaries:  Miss  Kirkland,  Miss  Emerson,  Mrs.  Randolph  and 
others;  and  what  would  now  be  called  a  “Special,”  was  the  build¬ 
ing  of  the  Sarah  Milner  Price  Memorial  Manse  in  Takamatsu, 
japan,  which  is  still  standing  in  loving  memory  of  this  splendid 
woman.  Mrs.  Price  served  this  Presbyterial  Union  as  Presi¬ 
dent  for  ten  years,  when  her  health  made  her  resignation 
necessary. 

Since  1905,  all  the  Societies  have  been  giving  to  all  the 
causes  of  the  Church  as  recommended  by  the  General  Assem¬ 
bly,  whereas,  before  that  time,  all  the  gifts  of  the  Union  went 
to  Foreign  Missions. 

At  the  annual  meeting  in  1904,  held  at  the  First  Presby¬ 
terian  Church,  Richmond,  Mrs.  J.  Calvin  Stewart  made  an 
address,  setting  forth  the  value  of  organization,  first  as  local 
societies,  then  the  societies  into  Presbyterial  Unions,  and  finally 
the  Presbyterial  Unions  into  a  Synodical  Union.  She  had  been 
much  impressed  by  the  account  of  the  achievement  of  Baptist 
women  who  had  recently  been  in  session  in  Savannah,  and  the 
inspiration  they  had  gained  through  the  addresses  made  by 
returned  missionaries,  and  the  reports  of  local  societies.  Her 
address  resulted  in  a  resolution  to  prepare  an  overture  to  Pres 
bytery,  to  gain  its  consent  for  a  Synodical  Union.  This  was 
the  initial  step  of  the  women  of  any  Synod  of  our  General 
Assembly,  looking  toward  a  Synodical  organization. 

Roanoke  Union,  1899. 

Eleven  years  after  East  Hanover  was  organized,  Roanokt 
met  to  organize  a  Presbyterial  Union  at  South  Boston,  Novem¬ 
ber,  1899.  The  following  year,  the  organization  was  completed 
end  officers  elected. 


VIRGINIA 


371 


Mrs.  N.  K.  Guthrie  was  elected  Secretary  and  held  the 
office  for  many  years,  being  the  life  and  inspiration  of  the 
organization. 

In  1904,  the  annual  meeting  was  held  at  Smithville  (now 
Charlotte),  reports  showed  a  small  increase  in  numbers,  and 
gifts,  but  the  good  women  were  rather  discouraged. 

“The  attendance  was  small  and  interest  at  such  low  ebb” 
that  it  was  decided  to  disband  the  Union.  Mrs.  N.  K.  Guthrie, 
of  Village  Church,  Secretary  since  its  organization,  arose  and 
said:  “You  may  bury  the  Union,  but  its  corpse  shall  not  be 
interred  in  Smithville.  This  meeting  seems  to  have  been  the 
turning  point  in  the  work.  Mrs.  Guthrie  was  elected  President 
at  this  meeting,  and  by  her  zeal  and  enthusiasm,  revived  the 
Union,  which  has  never  ceased  to  go  forwaard  in  its  work.” 
Mrs.  Guthrie  was  the  mother  of  Mrs.  W.  M.  Thompson,  one 
of  our  missionaries  to  Brazil. 

Roanoke  Union  was  very  deliberate  and  conservative  in 
giving  its  approval  to  the  organization  of  the  Synodical  Union, 
and  later  to  the  Woman’s  Auxiliary,  but  it  is  now  fully  con¬ 
vinced  of  the  value  of  both. 

Montgomery  Union — 1902. 

Montgomery  Union  began  its  life  in  July,  1902,  when  it 
was  organized  through  the  interest  of  five  societies,  at  the  First 
Church  of  Roanoke.  Mrs.  J.  B.  Stephenson,  of  Roanoke,  was 
made  President.  During  the  succeeding  years,  this  tiny  little 
Union  has  become  the  strong  well-organized  Auxiliary  of  Mont¬ 
gomery. 

It  is  doing  a  fine  work  for  the  Mountain  Schools;  there 
being  five  of  these  schools,  to  which  the  women  give  annually 
$2,000.00.  In  the  report  for  1921,  it  was  stated:  “This  year 
we  led  the  whole  Southern  Church  not  only  in  Prayer  Bands, 
but  in  Bible  Study  Classes.”  Mrs.  John  Bratten  was  the  effi¬ 
cient  President  of  this  organization  for  many  years. 


372 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


Norfolk  Union — 1902. 

Norfolk  Presbytery  was  formerly  a  part  of  East  Hanover, 
prior  to  the  formation  of  the  East  Hanover  Presbyterial  Union. 
At  the  separation  of  the  two  Presbyteries  about  the  year  1894, 
the  Women’s  Societies  withdrew  from  East  Hanover  Presbyte¬ 
rial  Union. 

In  October  1902,  the  Norfolk  Union  was  organized  in  the 
Ghent  Church,  with  nine  churches  represented. 

In  1904,  plans  for  the  organization  of  a  Synodical  Union 
were  heartily  endorsed. 

Norfolk  was  the  first  Union  to  divide  the  Presbytery 
into  districts,  holding  several  district  meetings  each  year.  This 
has  proved  to  be  a  splendid  plan,  and  is  keeping  the  smaller 
organizations  in  touch  with  the  great  movements  of  the  Church 
and  the  Woman’s  Work. 

Potomac  Union — 1905. 

Potomac  is  the  child  of  the  union  of  the  Maryland  and 
Chesapeake  Presbyterial  Unions. 

The  Woman’s  Missionary  Union  of  Maryland  was  organ¬ 
ized  in  January,  1905,  and  was  the  first  new  Union  to  fall  in 
line  at  the  request  of  the  Synodical  Union,  to  organize  and 
send  delegates  to  Roanoke  to  perfect  the  Synodical  organiza¬ 
tion.  Mrs.  Waller  Bullock  was  elected  President  and  was  sent 
to  the  meeting  at  Roanoke. 

Chesapeake  Presbyterial  Union  was  organized  in  the  Cen¬ 
tral  Church,  Washington,  D.  C.,  November  7th,  1907.  Mrs. 
David  G.  Armstory,  the  President  of  the  Missionary  Society 
of  the  Central  Church,  inaugurated  the  movement  and  was 
ably  assisted  by  Mrs.  John  R.  Sampson,  and  Mrs.  W.  W. 
Williamson.  Mrs.  John  L.  Beatie  was  elected  President. 

At  the  first  annual  meeting,  it  was  voted  that  the  Union 
take  as  its  special  object,  the  support  of  Mrs.  David  G.  Arm¬ 
strong,  who  had  become  a  missionary  to  Brazil.  At  the  next 
meeting,  it  was  reported  that  the  full  amount  had  been  pledged. 


VIRGINIA  SYNOD 


371 


On  May  15th,  1912,  a  delegation  of  eleven  members  each, 
from  the  Maryland  and  Chesapeake  Unions,  met  in  Washington 
to  perfect  the  consolidation  of  these  two  Unions  into  the  Presby- 
terial  Union  of  Potomac.  Mrs.  H.  N.  Price  was  elected  Presi¬ 
dent.  It  was  decided  to  continue  the  support  of  Mrs.  Armstrong, 
to  join  the  Synodical,  also  to  endorse  the  Woman’s  Auxiliary. 
Potomac  furnished  a  room  at  Mission  Court  in  the  memory 
of  Miss  Hollins,  a  consecrated  worker  of  Franklin  Street 
Church.  It  also  contributed  largely  to  defray  the  Foreign  Mis¬ 
sion  debt. 


Lexington — 1905 . 

When  the  meeting  for  conference  in  regard  to  organizing 
a  Synodical  Union  was  called  to  meet  in  Richmond,  October 
27th,  1904,  three  delegates  came  from  Lexington;  Mrs.  Eliza¬ 
beth  Preston  Allan,  Mrs.  Joseph  Allan,  and  Mrs.  J.  E.  Booker, 
though  there  was  no  Union  at  that  time  in  Lexington  Presbytery. 

Some  of  the  devoted  Missionary  workers  were  dubious  as 
to  the  need  of  a  Presbyterial  or  Synodical  Union.  The  President 
of  one  of  the  largest  and  strongest  Societies  wrote,  in  reply 
tc  the  earnest  appeal  of  the  Chairman  to  attend  the  meeting 
for  Conference,  that  her  Society  was  already  doing  all  that  it 
possibly  could  do,  and  enumerated  the  activities,  gifts,  etc.,  and 
it  was  indeed  a  fine  record.  The  Chairman  replied,  that  because 
of  the  splendid  work  being  done  by  the  Society,  it  was  just 
the  one  that  was  needed  to  meet  with  the  weaker  societies, 
that  the  weaker  could  catch  the  enthusiasm  of  the  stronger. 
These  three  splendid  delegates  came  to  the  Conference  and 
contributed  much  to  the  interest  and  power  of  the  meeting  by 
their  enthusiasm  and  words  of  encouragement. 

They  returned  to  their  home,  fully  convinced  of  the  need 
of  better  organization  for  the  Woman’s  Work.  Through  theii 
influence,  invitations  were  sent  out  by  the  Ladies’  Missionary 
Society  of  Lexington,  to  all  the  churches  in  Lexington  Presby¬ 
tery,  asking  that  they  send  two  delegates  each  to  a  meeting  to  be 


374 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


held  in  Lexington  March  16th,  1905,  to  consider  the  organiza¬ 
tion  of  the  Woman’s  Missionary  Union  of  Lexington.  The 
Union  was  formed,  and  Mrs.  R.  G.  Vance  of  Waynesboro  was 
elected  President.  The  Presbyterial  united  at  once  with  the 
Synodical  Union  and  became  a  power  and  inspiration  to  the 
Woman’s  Work  in  the  Synod. 

West  Hanover — 1905. 

Considering  the  formation  of  West  Hanover  Presbyterial. 
thoughts  turn  to  Mrs.  John  R.  Sampson  as  the  leading  spirit  in 
its  organization.  After  the  conference  with  Virginia  workers. 
Mrs.  Sampson  attended  the  Ecumenical  Missionary  Conference 
in  New  York,  and  she  says:  “Our  hearts  burned  within  us, 
as  we  heard  what  women  in  other  churches  were  doing,  and 
no  report  from  our  Southern  Presbyterian  Church,  though  we 
knew  that  in  many  churches,  women  were  interested  and  work¬ 
ing  nobly,  and  I  felt,  from  what  I  saw  and  heard,  that  our 
women  ought  to  be  doing  one  hundred  times  as  much  as  they 
were.” 

When  the  call  came  to  West  Hanover  to  send  two  delegates 
to  Richmond,  Mrs.  Sampson  came  with  her  characteristic 
brightness  and  enthusiasm,  telling  the  women  of  her  strong 
conviction  as  to  the  need  of  better  organization  in  the  Southern 
Presbyterian  Church.  She  soon  brought  about  the  organization 
of  the  West  Hanover  Union,  which  sent  delegates  to  the  First 
Synodical  meeting  in  Roanoke. 

Mrs.  Edgar  Wood  was  elected  the  first  President  and  Miss 
Belle  Dunnington,  .Secretary,  Mrs.  John  R.  Sampson,  Visitor. 

Winchester  Union — 1907. 

The  Woman’s  Missionary  Union  of  Winchester  Presbytery 
was  organized  in  Winchester,  Va.,  April  16th,  1907.  Mrs. 
W.  J.  Webster  was  elected  President  and  served  in  this  capacity 
for  twelve  years.  These  were  years  of  much  opposition  and 
many  difficulties,  but  also  of  steady  growth.  Gradually  the 


VIRGINIA  SYNOD 


375 


Societies  in  the  Presbytery  have  become  interested  and  con¬ 
vinced  of  the  values  of  Presbyterial  Union.  The  annual  meet- 
ings  of  the  Presbyterial  are  made  joyful  by  the  advent  of  one 
or  more  new  societies. 

SYNODICAL  ORGANIZATION— 1905. 

At  the  annual  meeting  of  East  Hanover  Missionary  Union, 
in  1904,  Mrs.  J.  Calvin  Stewart  advanced  a  plea  for  Synodical 
Organization.  It  was  favorably  accepted  by  the  Union,  and 
Mrs.  Stewart  was  made  Chairman  of  a  committee,  consisting  of 
herself,  Mrs.  F.  T.  McFaden  and  Miss  Katherine  Hawes,  to 
present  an  overture  to  Presbytery,  asking  their  approval  of  such 
an  organization.  This  was  done,  and  the  overture  was  approved 
by  Presbytery  in  session  at  Mizpah  Church,  Richmond,  April 
11th,  1904. 

With  this  encouragement,  a  letter  was  sent  out  to  the 
Presidents  of  Unions  then  in  existence,  or  to  representative 
women,  in  Presbyteries  as  yet  unorganized,  asking  them  to  ap¬ 
point  two  strong  and  enthusiastic  workers  as  delegates  to  a 
conference  to  be  held  in  Richmond  October  27th,  at  the  Church 
of  the  Covenant. 

Seven  of  the  Presbyteries  responded  to  this  call  and  sent 
one  or  more  delegates.  Mrs.  James  P.  Smith,  President  of  East 
Hanover  Presbyterial  Union,  presided  at  the  meeting.  Rev. 
II.  F.  Williams,  Rev.  J.  L.  Stuart,  and  a  number  of  ministers 
of  the  city  were  present.  The  following  Presbyteries  were  rep¬ 
resented:  East  Hanover,  Roanoke,  Montgomery,  Norfolk,  West 
Hanover,  Lexington,  Chesapeake. 

Mrs.  Stewart  spoke  on  the  value  of  organization  and  co¬ 
operation.  She  brought  out  very  clearly,  that  even  after  these 
larger  organizations  were  formed,  the  Societies  would  still  be 
under  the  control  of  the  Session. 

The  following  resolution  was  adopted: 

“That  the  present  Committee  be  continued  and  fully 
authorized  to  take  steps  for  securing  the  co-operation  of  the 


3  76 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


Presbyterial  Union  in  forming  a  .Synodical  Union,  and  for 
the  establishment  of  new  Presbyterial  Unions.” 

Another  meeting,  to  complete  the  organization,  was  held  in 
Roanoke,  April  11th,  1905.  Twentyeight  women  were  present, 
representing  nine  Presbyteries  as  follows:  East  Hanover,  Roa¬ 
noke,  Montgomery,  Norfolk,  Kanawha,  Abingdon,  Lexington 
Maryland,  West  Hanover  . 

Maryland  and  West  Hanover  had  organized  two  weeks 
previously  and  sent  their  delegates. 

Mrs.  J.  Calvin  Stewart  of  Richmond  was  elected  President 
and  a  Provisional  Constitution  was  adopted.  Thus,  to  Vir¬ 
ginia,  belongs  the  honor  of  having  taken  the  initial  step  toward 
organization  in  April  1904,  as  well  as  having  been  the  first 
to  complete  its  organization  by  the  election  of  officers  and 
adoption  of  a  Constiution  in  April  1905.* 

The  first  annual  meeting  of  the  Synodical  Union  was  held 
in  the  Grace  Street  Church,  October  26th,  1905.  At  this  time 
a  memorial  service  was  held  for  Mrs.  Sarah  Milner  Price,  the 
first  President  of  East  Hanover  Union. 

After  the  Synodical  was  organized,  with  full  consent  of 
Synod,  there  was  steady  growth  in  all  the  Presbyterial  Unions. 

...  ^ 

♦It  is  interesting'  to  note  that  Virginia  and  Texas  took  the  initiative  in 
the  organization  of  their  Presbyterials  into  Synodicals  about  the  same  time, 
the  following  being  the  comparative  statement  of  facts  with  regard  to  their 
organization :  , 

Virginia — 1904.  April,  in  Mizpah  Church,  Richmond,  during  a  meeting 
of  East  Hanover  Presbyterial,  a  Committee  Composed  of  Mrs.  J.  C.  Stewart, 
Mrs.  F.  T.  McFaden,  and  Miss  Katherine  Hawes  was  appointed  to  take  steps 
toward  the  organization  of  a  Synodical  Union. 

October  27th,  in  the  Church  of  the  Covenant,  Richmond,  at  a  meeting 
at  which  were  present  delegates  from  7  Presbyteries,  the  first  Committee 
was  continued  to  perfect  the  organization.  ,  ,,, 

Virginia— 1905.  April  11th,  at  a  meeting  in  the  First  Presbyterian 
Church,  Roanoke,  officers  were  elected  who  submitted  a  provisional  Constitu¬ 
tion,  which  was  adopted. 

October  26th,  at  a  meeting  in  Grace  Church,  Richmond,  the  Constitution 
was  amended. 

Virginia — 1906.  Virginia  fully  organized  and  functioning  held  its  meeting 
November  1-4  in  the  Second  Church  of  Norfolk. 

The  Womans  Auxiliary  in  Texas  dates  from  1904,  when  the  leaders  of  th3 
Womans  work  met  as  a  State  or  Synodical  organization  and  fixed  dates  for  the 
meeting  of  similar  groups  of  women  in  the  Presbyteries.  The  Synodical  meet¬ 
ings  were  held  each  year  (except  1905)  and  in  1910  the  Synod  of  Texas  gave 
official  sanction  to  the  organization  thus  ratifying  former*  action  of  the 
women. 


VIRGINIA  SYNOD 


377 


and  in  the  same  way  all  local  societies  were  instructed  and 
developed,  and  standards  were  raised  all  along  the  line,  the 
lower  organization  reporting  to  the  one  next  above,  and  all 
reports  kept  in  a  more  systematic  way. 

As  the  reports  began  to  be  more  and  more  clearly  put. 
there  appears  this  (now)  quaint  “Record  of  Womens’  Mission¬ 
ary  Societies  for  the  year  ending  March  31,  1906.” 


No.  of  Presbyteries _ 12 

No.  of  Presbyterial  Unions _  9 

No.  of  Churches _ 475 

Women’s  societies  _ 154 

Heard  from _  75 

*  Not  heard  from _ 79 

Childrens’  societies _ 92 

Heard  From  _ 55 

Not  Heard  From _ 37 


130  sent  in  reports;  116  sent  none. 

As  soon  as  this  movement  was  started  in  Virginia,  it 
awakened  a  like  enthusiasm  in  Texas,  Alabama,  Georgia,  Mis¬ 
souri.  The  President  received  so  many  letters  on  the  subject 
of  organizing  a  Synodical  Union,  that  it  was  thought  wise  to 
prepare  a  leaflet,  answering  many  of  these  questions,  so  “A 
Plea  for  Woman’s  Organized  Work”  was  published  and  widely 
distributed. 

Virginia  did  her  part  nobly,  in  those  trying  days,  when 
the  question  of  the  “Woman  Secretary”  was  being  agitated. 
At  the  Seventh  Annual  Meeting  of  the  Synodical  Union,  at 
Williamsburg,  November  3rd,  1911,  a  telegram  was  received 
from  the  Committee  of  the  Synodical  Union  of  Missouri,  asking 
for  Virginia’s  endorsement  of  the  Missouri  overture,  to  be  pre¬ 
sented  to  the  General  Assembly,  to  meet  in  May,  in  Bristol, 
Virginia,  asking  for  the  appointment  of  a  General  Secretary 
for  Woman’s  Work. 

The  following  reply  was  promptly  sent:  “The  Woman’s 
Synodical  Union  of  Virginia,  now  in  session  at  Williamsburg 


378 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


sends  greetings  and  by  a  unanimous  vote,  cordially  unites  with 
the  Synodical  Union  of  Missouri,  in  its  appeal  to  the  General 
Assembly,  that  a  woman  be  appointed  to  serve  as  General  Sec¬ 
retary  of  Woman’s  Work  in  the  Southern  Presbyterian  Church. ” 
Mrs.  C.  P.  Price,  Mrs.  T.  C.  Cunningham,  Committee. 

Virginia  was  the  first  to  endorse  this  movement  of  the 
Missouri  Synodical  and  although  there  was  intense  feeling,  and 
bitter  opposition  on  the  part  of  many,  and  among  those  “in 
high  places,”  the  Virginia  Synodical,  through  her  officers,  was 
loyal  from  first  to  last,  in  spite  of  misunderstanding  and 
criticism.  There  was  no  uncertain  sound  in  her  support  of 
the  movement. 

At  the  eighth  annual  meeting,  held  at  Lewisburg,  West 
Virginia,  it  was  the  pleas'ure  of  the  Synodical  to  have  present 
the  newly-appointed  Superintendent  of  the  Woman’s  Auxiliary. 
Mrs.  W.  C.  Winsborough.  In  introducing  Mrs.  Winsborough. 
Mrs.  J.  C.  Stewart  said: 

“I  appeal  to  you,  with  all  the  love  I  have  in  my  heart  for 
the  extension  of  the  Kingdom,  and  for  each  one  of  you  per¬ 
sonally,  that  you  give  to  our  new  Superintendent  your  hearty 
co-operation,  support,  sympathy  and,  above  all,  your  love  and 
prayers.  We  Virginia  women  have  a  reputation  to  sustain,  of 
always  being  ready  to  advance,  with  that  courage  and  intelli¬ 
gence  that  assures  success  and  with  that  conservatism  that  dis¬ 
arms  criticism.  The  first  Presbyterial  was  organized  in  Rich¬ 
mond,  Virginia;  the  first  Synodical  Union  in  Richmond,  Vir¬ 
ginia;  the  first  Jubilee  among  the  Southern  women,  held  in 
Richmond,  Virginia,  and  led  by  a  woman  of  the  Southern  Pres¬ 
byterian  Church;  therefore,  let  it  never  be  said,  that  having 
shown  such  a  spirit  in  the  past,  the  women  of  Virginia  were 
slow  to  catch  a  vision  of  the  great  possibilities  of  this  last  move¬ 
ment,  and  refused  to  enter  quickly  and  willingly,  through  the 
open  door  of  development  and  extension  of  our  work.  It  gives 
ine  great  pleasure  to  introduce  to  you  our  new  Superintendent, 
Mrs.  W.  C.  Winsborough.” 


VIRGINIA 


379 


Among  the  things  accomplished  since  1904,  may  be  men¬ 
tioned  the  fact  that  seven  Presbyterials  were  soon  added  to 
the  first  five. 

Mission  Court  has  been  built.  Mrs.  Stewart  first  talked 
of  this,  and  appointed  Mrs.  George  Randolph  Cannon,  Chair¬ 
man  of  a  Committee  to  look  into  the  advisability  of  pushing  the 
matter  to  completion.  After  ten  years  of  service  as  President 
of  the  Synodical,  Mrs.  Stewart  resigned  and  her  successor, 
Mrs.  Walton,  appointed  Mrs.  Stewart  as  Chairman  of  this 
Committee,  and  Mrs.  Cannon  as  Treasurer.  A  vigorous  cam¬ 
paign  for  money  soon  brought  in  the  necessary  funds,  and 
the  Home  has  been  occupied  by  the  missionaries  for  several 
years.  * 

Nearly  $25,000  was  raised  for  the  Foreign  Mission  Com¬ 
mittee. 

Large  funds  were  raised  for  Durant  College,  in  Oklahoma. 

The  Thank  Offering  of  the  Synodical  has  furnished  many 
scholarships  for  young  women  of  the  Training  School. 

Mrs.  J.  Calvin  Stewart,  the  President  of  the  Synodical, 
and  Mrs.  A.  M.  Howison,  the  Treasurer,  were  appointed  a 
committee  to  attend  a  conference  at  Atlanta,  to  consider  the 
advisability  of  having  a  woman  secretary  of  Woman’s  Work 
in  the  Southern  Presbyterian  Church. 

At  this  meeting,  Mrs.  Howison  was  elected  the  Treasurer 
of  the  Woman’s  Auxiliary,  which  office  she  filled  faithfully  and 
intelligently  during  the  days  when  the  work  was  in  the  forma¬ 
tive  period. 

Among  the  women  who  have  labored  for  the  Master’s 
Kingdom  in  the  Synodical  of  Virginia  must  be  mentioned: 

Miss  Jane  Rutherford,  for  many  years  the  faithful  Secre¬ 
tary  of  the  Synodical,  and  Mrs.  John  R.  Sampson,  one  of  the 
first  friends  of  the  work,  in  the  days  when  things  were  not 
bright; 

Mrs.  A.  M.  Howison,  of  Staunton,  the  valued  Treasurer, 


380 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


who,  by  her  tactful  love,  overcame  the  antipathy  to  the  “con¬ 
tingent  fund”  and  put  giving  upon  a  higher  plain; 

Mrs.  Sallie  H.  McCormick,  who  did  so  much  to  co-ordinate 
the  Young  People’s  Work; 

Mrs.  H.  N.  Price,  of  Baltimore,  well-known  writer  for 
the  religious  papers,  especially  for  the  young; 

Mrs.  R.  G.  Vance,  of  Waynesboro,  who  is  doing  a  valua¬ 
ble  and  unique  work  in  handling  the  output  of  our  Mission 
Industrial  Schools,  in  foreign  lands,  and  thereby  very  mate¬ 
rially  aiding  in  the  support  of  women  and  girls; 

Miss  Carrie  Lee  Campbell,  who  edits  the  Woman’s  De¬ 
partment  in  the  Presbyterian  of  the  South,  and  by  her  plans 
and  methods,  is  a  help  and  inspiration  to  other  workers; 

Mrs.  Henry  Schmelz,'  of  Hampton,  who  is  Chairman  of  the 
State  Inter-Racial  Committee,  and  is  facing  bravely  a  grave 
problem ; 

Mrs.  George  Randolph  Cannon,  of  Richmond,  who  is  the 
Treasurer  of  Mission  Court,  and  whose  courage  and  untiring 
correspondence  largely  raised  the  funds  for  this  Home  of  the 
Missionaries  on  Furlough; 

Mrs.  D.  K.  Walthall,  of  Waynesboro,  who  has  had  a  large 
share  in  planning  the  splendid  summer  conference  at  Massa- 
netta  Springs. 


WEST  VIRGINIA 


381 


WEST  VIRGINIA 


S82 


PIONEER 


WOMEN 


Mrs.  B.  F.  Mann,  First  President  of 
West  Virginia  Synodical. 


WEST  VIRGINIA 


383 


WEST  VIRGINIA 

In  the  year  1863  West  Virginia  was  separated  from  Vir¬ 
ginia  and  became  the  36th  State  in  the  Union.  Not  until  1914 
was  the  Synod  of  West  Virginia  separated  from  the  Synod  of 
Virginia  and  given  a  place  of  its  own  in  Presbyterian  Church 
government.  So  that  in  a  very  real  sense  the  Synod  of  West 
Virginia  is  the  Child  of  Virginia. 

EARLY  HISTORY. 

THE  OLD  STONE  CHURCH  OF  LEWISBURG. 

In  the  year  1783  Rev.  John  McCue  arrived  in  what  is 
now  known  as  Greenbrier  Country  of  West  Virginia.  He 
found  fifteen  or  twenty  Presbyterians  worshiping  in  a  log 
house  erected  on  land  belonging  to  Rev.  Jacob  Osborne,  prob¬ 
ably  the  first  Presbyterian  minister  in  this  section.  Rev.  McCue 
organized  the  church  of  Fort  Union,  which  name  was  shortly 
changed  to  Lewisburg  in  honor  of  Col.  Andrew  Lewis,  famed 
for  pioneer  Indian  warfare.  Rev.  McCue  also  organized  the 
churches  of  Spring  Creek  and  Union  or  “Good  Hope,”  hence¬ 
forth  called  “the  three  cornerstones  of  Presbyterianism'’  in  this 
section. 

In  1792  Rev.  Benjamin  P.  Grigsby  succeeded  Mr.  McCue 
as  pastor.  It  was  during  his  pastorate  that  the  present  Old 
Stone  Church  was  built,  in  the  year  1796.  Then  it  is  we 
have  first  mention  of  a  woman’s  Christian  service,  within  the 
bounds  of  the  Synod  of  West  Virginia.  Mrs.  Agnes  Stuart  (nee 
Agnes  Lewis,  of  the  line  of  Col.  Andrew  Lewis),  wife  of  Col. 
John  .Stuart,  was  the  principal  subscriber  to  this  building,  she 
and  her  brother,  Colonel  Lewis,  giving  $2,500.00,  which  was 
quite  a  sum  of  money  at  that  time.  No  doubt  this  noble  woman’s 
interest  inspired  others  who  gave  much  assistance  in  other  ways. 


Old  Stone  Church,  Lewisburg,  W.  Va. 


WEST  VIRGINIA 


385 


Her  husband,  having  already  liberally  subscribed,  gave  the  land 
on  which  the  church  was  built,  and  being  an  artisan  in  stone 
work,  he  engraved  a  stone  which  was  placed  over  the  front  en¬ 
trance,  and  bears  this  inscription: 


tp*  pii  ■ 

S^mLDlNGw?Pi| 

f  ERRF.CTED  IN  THE  YEAR^ 
I  1 7  9  6  AT  THE.  EXVENCF: 

OF  A  FEW  OF  THE  FIRS' 
INHABITANTS  OF  THU 
HAND  •  !\)  COMMEMORA'I 
THEIR  AFFECTION  if 
ESTEEM  FOR  THE 
HOLY  GOSPEL  OF  i 

JESUS  CHRIST7 

>  ,  '  -  ' 

X\  L  A  D  L 11 

IF  YOU  ARE  INCLINED 
TO  APPLAUD  THEIR 
VIRTUES  GIVE  GOD 
THE  GLORY 


This  building  is  made  of  native  lime-stone,  gathered  from 
the  nearby  land,  and  placed  in  the  walls  in  their  original  shape 
and  size. 

Tradition  has  given  an  incident,  worthy  of  note,  that  when 
the  stones  of  this  building  had  been  collected,  the  godly  women 
and  boys  carried  the  sand  in  sacks,  on  horses,  from  Greenbrier 
river,  a  distance  of  four  miles,  to  make  the  mortar  to  build  this 
stone  edifice. 

granddaughter  of  Col.  David  Ruffner,  Mrs.  Frances  Putney 


386 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


This  same  old  building,  unique  and  beautiful  inside  and 
out,  with  but  few  changes,  is  the  house  of  worship  today,  with 
many  of  the  descendants  of  the  charter  members  in  attendance. 

Mr.  Grigsby  went  back  to  Eastern  Virginia  shortly  after 
the  erection  of  the  church  and  there  was  a  vacancy  for  ten 
years.  Rev.  John  McElhenny  came  in  1808.  When  he  be¬ 
gan  his  work,  the  church  was  very  weak  and  years  after, 
his  granddaughter  writes  of  having  heard  him  refer  to  his 
early  work  at  Union  and  Lewisburg,  and  says  that  he  would 
have  given  up  in  utter  despair  but  for  the  sense  of  the  fact  that 
there  were  a  number  of  good  and  pious  ladies,  mothers  and 
wives,  in  his  church,  whose  daily  earnest  prayers  were  for  a  re¬ 
vival,  and  for  the  conversion  of  their  husbands  and  sons.  This 
revival  came  after  a  slow  growth  of  twenty  years,  when  between 
ninety  and  a  hundred  were  added  to  the  church  roll,  and  gave 
it  an  impetus  forward,  which  is  felt  today. 

In  1872  the  “Ladies’  Foreign  Missionary  Society”  of  the 
Old  Stone  Church,  was  organized  and  a  daughter  of  Rev.  Mc¬ 
Elhenny,  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Fry,  was  the  first  President  and  Mrs 
Susan  Estill,  Treasurer. 

UNION  CHURCH 

Union  or  “Good  Hope,”  which  was  one  of  the  three 
churches  organized  by  Rev.  McCue  in  1783,  was  for  many 
years  linked  with  the  Mt.  Pleasant  church  under  the  same 
pastor.  The  Union  Church  was  described  by  Rev.  McElhenny 
who  later  served  as  pastor,  as  being  made  of  unhewn  logs, 
covered  with  clapboards,  and  the  floor  with  pieces  of  unhewn 
timber,  instead  of  planks.  No  provision  was  made  for  warming 
these  houses,  but  when  the  weather  was  cold,  large  log  fires 
were  built  in  front  of  the  building,  for  the  comfort  of  the  people 

In  1834  Rev.  Samuel  R.  Houston,  D.  D.,  became  the  pas¬ 
tor  of  this  charge.  He  and  his  family  stand  out  pre-eminently 
as  teachers  of  missions.  His  pastorate  continued  for  forty- 
four  years.  Previous  to  coming  to  this  field,  Dr.  Houston  had 


WEST  VIRGINIA 


387 


been  a  missionary  in  Greece.  From  the  beginning  of  his 
pastorate  in  1834,  “The  Monthly  Concert,”  and  subscriptions 
to  the  “Missionary  Record,”  promoted  interest  in  Foreign  mis¬ 
sions.  The  women  of  the  Union  Church  made  fancy  articles 
and  conducted  fairs  in  the  interest  of  this  work,  until  about 
1873,  when  Miss  Mary  Lewis  Hutchinson,  a  most  devoted 
advocate  of  missions,  brought  about  the  organization  of  a 
“Ladies’  Missionary  Society.”  This  society  from  that  time  to 
the  present,  has  been  an  active  organization.  Three  ladies  re¬ 
ceived  their  missionary  training  for  the  foreign  field  in  this 
church,  namely:  Mrs.  Anne  Randolph,  who  labored  in  China, 
Miss  Janet  H.  Houston,  who  spent  thirty  years  in  Mexico  and 
Cuba,  and  Miss  Edith  McClung  Flouston,  who’  was  sent  to 
Mexito  and  then  to  Cuba  where  she  is  now  engaged. 

In  1879  a  branch  society  was  organized  for  the  joung 
ladies  of  the  Union  and  Mt.  Pleasant  churches.  They  held 
monthly  meetings  in  a  school  house,  and  were  known  as  “The 
Buds  of  Promise,”  beginning  with  nine  members.  Miss  Helen 
Houston  was  the  first  president.  A  worker  in  the  Foreign 
Field,  Miss  Mary  Williams,  an  active  and  faithful  missionary 
now  of  Yokohama,  Japan,  was  once  a  member  of  this  societv 

EARLIEST  WOMAN’S  ORGANIZATION.  1837. 

It  is  not  in  these  very  old  churches  of  Greenbrier  County, 
situated  in  the  Eastern  section  of  West  Virginia,  that  we  find 
the  first  women’s  organization,  but  in  the  Western  part,  in 
Kanawha  Presbytery,  in  the  First  Church  of  Charleston. 

The  earliest  record  we  have  of  woman’s  work  is  of  the 
“Female  Benevolent  Society,”  organized  in  1837.  Its  Constitu¬ 
tion  says:  “The  Meetings  shall  be  opened  with  religious  exer¬ 
cises  and  some  book  read  during  the  meeting.”  Its  gifts  for 
benevolences  were  to  be  given  as  decided  by  the  Society.  Their 
records  show  that  the  women  sewed  and  made  garmnts  as  Dor¬ 
cas  did  of  old,  and,  as  women  seem  always  to  have  done,  con  - 
tributed  money  towards  the  Manse.  Their  officers  were  called 


388 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


Directors.  Mrs.  Lucy  Rand  was  a  Director  in  this  first  society. 
In  later  years  the  organization  was  called  “Mite  Society,”  and 
still  later,  “Aid  Society.”  Charleston  is  in  the  midst  of  a  large 
Home  Mission  section,  consequently  we  find  that  the  Home 
Mission  interest  both  among  the  women  and  the  young  people, 
was  strongly  developed  from  an<  early  period.  Not  until  1900 
was  there  a  Foreign  Missionary  Society.  But  in  1920,  when 
the  Auxiliary  Circle  Plan  was  installed  there  were  two  hundred 
working  members  ready  to  be  enrolled. 

The  Westminster  Church  of  Point  Pleasant,  in  Kanawha 
Presbytery  had  a  Sewing  Society  that  began  its  work  in  1869, 
meeting  in  the  homes  of  its  members.  Garments  were  cut  out 
by  a  committee  and  put  together  by  hand.  These  were  sold 
and  the  money  used  for  both  Home  and  Foreign  Missions. 

Miss  M.  S.  McCulloch,  one  of  the  first  members  of  the 
society  fulfilled  a  most  praiseworthy  service.  For  many  years, 
until  her  death  in  1920,  it  was  her  custom  to  give  a  subscription 
to  the  Missionary  Survey  and  a  Church  Calendar  of  Prayer  to 
each  member  of  the  society. 

Another  record  of  sweet  conscientious  service  comes  from 
Malden  Church.  P'his  church  was  built  by  Col.  David  Ruffner, 
in  1839,  at  his  own  expense  and  because  he  gave  special  at¬ 
tention  to  its  erection — (we  are  told  he  had  the  walls  torn  down 
when  first  built,  and  rebuilt,  showing  determination  to  have  it 
well  constructed),  it  stands  today,  a  plain,  substantial  brick 
building.  Colonel  Ruffner’s  daughter,  Anne  Ruffner  Putney, 
wife  of  Dr.  James  Putney,  made  the  Communion  bread  for 
many,  many  years.  After  her  death,  her  daughter-in-law,  Mrs. 
Aleathea  Todd  Putney,  supplied  the  elements  for  forty-four 
years,  and  when  her  life  was  ended,  her  daughter  Mrs.  Minnie 
Putney  Stanley,  walking  in  the  footsteps  of  these  saintly  women, 
continued  to  furnish  the  Communion  table  for  fifteen  years,  until 
she  moved  to  another  towh,  thus  showing  the  loyalty  and  de¬ 
votion  of  three  generations,  in  this  one  act  of  piety.  Another 


WEST  VIRGINIA 


389 


Norton,  had  charge  of  the  music  in  Malden  Church.  In  1862 
she  with  a  small  group  of  friends,  bought  a  melodeon  for  the 
Church,  organs  being  unknown  in  that  day,  in  that  section. 

The  story  of  woman’s  work  in  St.  Alban’s  Church  is  one 
of  undaunted  faith  and  courage.  In  1874,  the  wife  of  the 
first  resident  pastor,  the  Rev.  Edward  Ells,  called  the  ladies  of 
the  church  together  and  organized  them  into  the  “Working 
Band.”  This  little  group  of  twelve  women  decided  to  build  a 
church.  Each  one  contributed  a  small  amount  of  money  and 
with  faith  and  hope,  began  to  work.  Many  things  dear  to  a 
woman’s  heart  were  given  up  to  swell  the  sum.  For  three  Christ¬ 
mas  seasons,  the  accustomed  home  pleasures  were  sacrificed  to 
devote  the  time  and  means  to  this  desire  of  their  hearts — a 
church  home.  Four  years  later,  when  their  dream  was  real¬ 
ized,  their  hearts  rejoiced  that  they  had  had  a  part  in  the 
building  of  the  Lord’s  House. 

In  1879  a  movement  was  made  by  Mr.  Ells  (the  pastor)  to 
form  a  Missionary  Society.  A  spirited  opposition  was  made 
by  one  of  the  elders,  on  the  ground  that  “All  we  can  give  at 
present  is  due  for  the  Minister’s  salary.”  Nevertheless,  an 
organization  was  perfected,  and  two  years  later,  it  is  interest¬ 
ing  to  note  that  the  Session  of  the  church  made  a  Minute  of 
the  gratifying  fact  that  “By  the  aid  of  the  Missionary  Society, 
we  have  collected  and  paid  $33.00  apportioned  the  church  for 
benevolences.” 

A  young  ladies’  society  of  unusually  high  ideals  and  pur¬ 
poses  was  organized  in  1897  in  the  Old  Stone  Church  of  Lewis- 
burg,  and  named  the  “Anne  Montgomery  Missionary  Society,” 
in  honor  of  a  saintly  woman  who  had  been  much  disturbed 
because  the  young  women  in  the  church  were  not  being  in¬ 
structed  in  Missions  as  they  should  be. 

The  object  of  this  society  was  never  so  much  to  increase 
funds,  as  to  study  missions  and  the  work  of  the  church.  To 
this  end,  all  members  were  required  to  sign  the  following 
pledge:  “Unless  I  have  some  reason  that  I  can  give  my  Master, 


390 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


I  will  attend  every  meeting  of  the  Society,  and  diligently  do 
my  duty.  I  will  read  ‘The  Missionary’  regularly,  and  one 
new  missionary  book  every  six  months.  I  will  pray  for  in¬ 
creasing  light  as  to  my  own  duty  and  for  the  coming  of  Christ’s 
Kingdom,  and  will  study  the  Scriptures  with  reference  to  this 
subject.”  To  further  carry  out  its  object,  this  society  collected 
a  splendid  library,  all  of  the  books  being  on  missionary  subjects, 
or  the  lives  of  missionaries.  It  was  their  annual  custom  to 
pay  the  expenses  of  a  missionary  to  come  and  address  the  whole 
church  on  mission  work. 

Huntington  First  Church  dates  back  nearly  a  hundred 
years,  but  it  was  as  late  as  1895  before  its  women  banded 
themselves  together  into  any  kind  of  organization,  and  even 
then  the  idea  was  so  unpopular  that  we  are  told  only  about  five 
or  six  women  came  together  with  fear  and  trembling,  and  named 
themselves  the  “Woman’s  Home  and  Foreign  Missionary  Soci¬ 
ety.”  This  small  beginning  seems  almost  unbelievable  in  the 
light  of  the  shining  record  of  this  church  today  as  one  of  the 
leading  missionary  churches  in  the  Assembly,  with  its  long  list 
of  co-pastors  both  abroad  and  in  the  home  fields.  The  Auxil¬ 
iary  with  its  many  active  Circles  has  grown  by  leaps  and 
bounds,  numbering  over  five  hundred  members,  and  with  gifts 
in  keeping  with  their  missionary  zeal.  It  is  an  Auxiliary 
thoroughly  abreast  of  the  times,  grounded  on  Prayer  and  Bible 
Study. 


ORGANIZATION  OF  PRESS  YTERIAL 

AUXILIARIES. 

Kanawha.  1902. 

The  Presbytery  of  Kanawha  was  originally  a  part  of  Green¬ 
brier  Presbytery,  and  as  the  country  increased  in  population, 
the  church  work  also  grew.  At  a  meeting  of  Synod  in  Dan¬ 
ville,  Virginia  in  1894,  an  overture  was  presented  from  the 
Presbytery  of  Greenbrier,  requesting  that  the  said  Presbytery 


WEST  VIRGINIA 


391 


be  divided,  and  the  part  set  aside,  to  be  known  as  Kanawha 
Presbytery. 

This  request  was  granted,  and  Synod  appointed  the  new 
Presbytery  to  hold  its  first  session  at  Malden,  Kanawha  Salines 
Church,  April  9th,  1895. 

In  1902  the  Woman’s  Presbyterial  Missionary  Union  was 
organized  and  held  in  joint  session  with  Presbytery,  which  was 
meeting  in  Charleston,  at  the  First  Presbyterian  Church.  Mrs. 
Ernest  Thompson  was  elected  President,  and  a  full  executive 
board  installed.  The  first  annual  meeting  was  held  in  Hunt¬ 
ington,  First  Church  the  following  year. 

•Since  that  time  yearly  meetings  have  convened  and  the 
work  has  rapidly  grown  in  membership,  spirituality,  and  in 
benevolent  gifts. 

Some  outstanding  names  of  this  Presbyterial  are  Mrs. 
Ernest  Thompson,  Mrs.  Newton  Donaldson,  Mrs.  William 
Mohler,  Mrs.  William  McConnell,  Mrs.  M.  B.  Lambdin  and 
Mrs.  William  Pepper.  Through  their  efforts  as  presiding  of¬ 
ficers,  the  work  has  progressed  splendidly. 

Greenbrier  Presbyterial.  1906. 

The  real  beginning  of  Greenbrier  Presbyterial  goes  back 
farther  than  the  actual  date  of  organization.  In  1887  Mrs. 
Anne  Randolph  returned  from  China  on  furlough,  her  heart 
overflowing  with  a  message  to  her  sisters  in  this  country.  The 
“Ladies’  Missionary  Society”  of  the  Union  Presbyterian  Church, 
of  Union,  West  Virginia,  seeing  a  vision  for  greater  work,  in¬ 
vited  all  of  the  ladies’  societies  of  all  evangelical  churches  in 
the  two  counties  of  Monroe  and  Greenbrier  to  meet  at  Hillsdale, 
Monroe  County,  in  August  1900.  This  meeting  was  addressed 
by  Miss  Janet  H.  Houston  and  Mrs.  Anne  Randolph,  and  was 
attended  with  such  earnest  and  enthusiastic  interest  that  it  was 
then  and  there  determined  to  organize  an  Interdenominational 
Missionary  Union,  to  meet  annually.  No  President  was  elected, 
but  a  Chairman  appointed  at  each  meeting.  These  meetings 


392 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


were  very  helpful  to  all  the  societies,  as  a  Foreign  Missionary 
of  some  denomination  was,  with  but  one  exception,  always 
present,  in  the  fourteen  years  of  its  existence. 

Synodical  and  Presbyterial  Unions  were  now  being  freely 
organized  and  our  churches  wished  to  co-operate.  Hence  “The 
Women’s  Foreign  Missionary  Union”  of  Greenbrier  Presbytery 
was  organized  at  the  Ronceverte  Presbyterian  Church,  August 
15,  1906.  Representatives  from  six  churches,  Alderson,  Salem, 
Union,  Frankford,  Lewisburg  and  Ronceverte,  in  all  thirteen 
delegates,  met  for  organization.  The  officers  elected  were  Miss 
Helen  Houston,  President,  Mrs.  W.  D.  Slaven,  Recording  Secre¬ 
tary,  Miss  Margaret  Irons,  Treasurer. 

After  an  all  day  session,  the  meeting  adjourned  to  meet 
annually,  and  to  be  held  at  the  time  and  place  of  fall  meet¬ 
ing  of  Presbytery.  We  think  it  proper  to  add,  with  regret, 
that  there  was  manifested  some  opposition  to  our  meeting,  from 
individuals  in  our  churches,  and  that  it  was  carried  into  our 
Presbyteries  and  Synod.  But  there  was  one  man  who  champ¬ 
ioned  the  cause,  Rev.  W.  J.  Garrison,  who  never  failed  in  his 
interest,  and  secured  for  the  Presbyterial  the  support  of  the 
majority  of  Greenbrier  Presbytery,  after  two  attempts  to  bring 
about  its  organization. 

Delegates  were  appointed  at  this  first  meeting  of  Presby¬ 
terial,  to  attend  the  Synodical  Union,  held  at  Norfolk,  in  October 
1906,  (Greenbrier  Presbytery  belonging  at  that  time  to  Vir¬ 
ginia  Synod).  For  years  afterwards  this  was  done,  also  a 
representative  from  the  Presbyterial  was  sent  to  Montreat. 

There  were  thirty-nine  churches  in  Greenbrier  Presbytery 
at  the  beginning  of  the  Presbyterial  work,  and  the  majority  had 
some  woman’s  organization.  Only  six  joined  at  the  first  meet¬ 
ing  of  Presbyterial.  The  reports  of  1913  showed  463  members 
from  nineteen  societies. 

Some  of  the  out-standing  leaders  are  Miss  Helen  Houston, 
Mrs.  B.  F.  Mann,  Mrs.  R.  B.  Hudson,  Mrs.  J.  A.  Lacy, 
Mrs.  R.  B.  Slaven,  Mrs.  R.  F.  Dunlap,  and  some  of  the  mis- 


WEST  VIRGINIA 


393 


sionaries  who  have  always  given  their  support,  are:  Rev.  J.  M. 
Sloan,  Rev.  Eugene  Daniel,  Rev.  R.  B.  Hudson,  Rev.  J.  L. 
Linew7eaver  and  Rev.  F.  W.  Phillips. 

Tygarts  Valley  Presbyterial  Auxiliary.  1913. 

This  Presbyterial  Auxiliary  was  organized  Nov.  14,  1913, 
in  the  Davis  Memorial  Church,  Elkins,  West  Virginia,  the  year 
after  the  organization  of  the  Presbytery  of  Tygarts  Valley. 
This  territory  had  formerly  belonged  to  the  Lexington  Presby¬ 
tery  of  the  Virginia  Synod. 

Some  of  the  ladies  who  were  outstanding  in  effecting  this 
organization,  are  Mrs.  T.  J.  Arnold,  Miss  Isabel  Arnold,  Mrs. 
T.  H.  Barron,  Mrs.  J.  A.  Logan,  Mrs.  William  McGulland, 
Mrs.  Fredlock  and  Mrs.  W.  J.  Barry. 

The  first  president  was  Miss  Emma  K.  Davis,  of  Clarks¬ 
burg,  who  served  until  1918,  when  Mrs.  L.  J.  Arnold  of  Elkins 
was  made  president.  Mrs.  Arnold  was  succeeded  by  Mrs.  L.  D. 
Zinn,  who  is  the  present  presiding  officer. 

There  have  been  no  wonders  accomplished  in  the  years  that 
have  passed,  but  there  has  been  a  steady  growth  in  spiritual  life, 
and  number  of  members. 

THE  SYNODICAL  AUXILIARY  OF  WEST  VIRGINIA. 

1914. 

The  Synodical  of  West  Virginia  is  composed  of  three 
Presbyterials  Greenbrier,  Kanawha  and  Tygarts  Valley. 

The  first  annual  meeting  of  the  Synodical  convened  in  the 
Sunday  School  Building  of  the  Old  Stone  Church,  Lewisburg, 
West  Virginia,  at  10  A.  M.  October  28,  1914. 

The  meeting  was  opened  by  Mrs.  R.  B.  Hudson,  President 
of  the  entertaining  Presbyterial. 

Mrs.  Ernest  Thompson  was  elected  Temporary  Chairman 
and  Mrs.  Wilbur  Slaven,  Temporary  Secretary. 

There  were  no  By-Laws  nor  Constitution,  nor  any  program 
for  this  meeting,  but  a  committee  was  appointed  to  bring  in 


394 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


a  Constitution  at  the  second  meeting,  to  be  held  at  Charleston 
West  Virginia,  October  12-13,  1915.  Mrs.  B.  F.  Mann,  Fort 
Spring,  was  elected  President,  and  Mrs.  R.  B.  Hudson,  vice 
president,  Mrs.  L.  E.  Poteet,  Charleston,  Recording  Secretary, 
and  Mrs.  S.  P.  Peck,  Hinton,  treasurer. 

The  meetings  have  been  held  annually,  at  different  places 
over  the  Synod,  at  the  same  time  and  place  with  Synod. 

Miss  Isabel  Arnold,  of  Elkins,  West  Virginia,  has  rendered 
a  specially  fine  service  in  her  management  of  the  Foreign  Mis¬ 
sion  Book  Room  at  Montreat,  and  also  with  her  valuable  dis¬ 
plays  of  literature  and  helps  for  study  and  programs  at  the 
meeting’s  of  General  Assembly,  and  at  the  Laymen’s  Conven¬ 
tions. 


395 


RETROSPECT 

We  have  discovered  the  Presbyterian  Woman  of  the  United 
States  standing  at  the  threshold  of  a  new  Republic  which 
opened  its  doors  to  what  she  came  to  find,  viz. :  Liberty  of 
worship  in  a  free  country.  We  have  followed  her  in  her  on¬ 
ward  march,  showing  always  a  courage  equal  to  her  convic¬ 
tions,  and  we  are  now  about  to  leave  her,  as  an  organized 
force,  within  her  Church  of  ancient  heritage. 

Three  epochs  of  struggle  have  marked  her  pathway:  First, 
that  of  the  primitive  period  in  our  country’s  history  when 
houses  of  worship  still  stood  in  the  unhewn  timber  of  the 
virgin  forest;  next  in  the  awful  days  of  rehabilitation  after  a 
civil  war;  and  again,  within  that  transitional  period  of  struggle 
for  recognition  of  woman  in  organized  capacity  within  her 
church.  To  reach  this  third  goal  meant  the  wrecking  of  old 
ideals  and  hoary  prejudices  by  the  dynamic  power  of  the 
Unseen  Hand. 

In  every  church  souls  with  the  spirit  of  martyrs  were  cast 
into  the  melting  pot,  and  under  the  fires  of  cruel  criticism  and 
false  allegations,  came  out  burning  with  the  white  heat  of  a 
steady  purpose  which  ate  its  way  through  opposition  fierce  and 
teuse.  To  many  was  given  the  vision  of  how  “Jerusalem 
lieth  waste  and  is  a  reproach  to  her  people”  and  crusaders 
stood  ready  when  God  called,  through  a  leader  of  his  own 
choosing  in  the  person  of  Hallie  Paxson  Winsborough. 

We  have  only  to  point  to  our  chapter  of  Results  as  vindi¬ 
cation  of  this  need  of  the  hour,  and  as  proof  of  the  ability  of 
the  leader.  Therefore,  we  cannot  close  these  pages  until  we 
have  brought  to  her  who  literally  paid  the  cost  for  us,  our 
common  tribute  of  gratitude  for  all  the  way  in  which  she  has 
led  us. 


396 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


Only  lines  like  the  following  can  furnish  the  key  to  her 
success,  and  can  yield  a  hint  of  what  she  endured  in  the  initial 
steps : 

“He  who  ascends  to  mountain  tops,  shall  find 

The  loftiest  peaks  most  wrapped  in  clouds  of  snow; 

He  who  surpasses  or  subdues  mankind, 

Must  look  down  on  the  hate  of  those  below. 

Round  him  are  icy  rocks,  and  loudly  blow, 

Contending  tempests  on  his  naked  head, 

And  thus  reward  the  toils  which  to  these  summits  lead.” 

We  have  shown  that  the  period  of  our  history  covers  a 
cycle  of  progress  unparalleled  in  world  movements,  and  that 
the  Woman’s  Movement  and  that  of  the  Presbyterian  Woman 
were  the  same  in  the  final  outcome. 

The  simultaneous  release  of  physical  force  through  applied 
chemistry  and  electricity,  and  that  of  the  spiritual  through  the 
applied  teachings  of  the  Messiah,  have  so  transformed  the  age 
in  which  we  live  as  to  sometimes  set  the  brain  to  wondering 
if  these  are  days  of  a  new  incarnation. 

The  same  Christ  whose  genius  for  friendship  took  him 
tc  the  wedding  feast  and  to  the  grave  of  Lazarus,  to  the  home 
at  Bethany  and  to  that  other  home  where  was  broken  the  ala¬ 
baster  box  of  ointment  upon  his  precious  body,  was  also  found 
trampling  under  foot  social  traditions.  For  the  sake  of  a 
woman  he  flung  to  the  winds  Pharisaical  practices  when  he 
stooped  to  write  his  message  in  the  sand  and  to  hold  converse 
with  the  woman  of  Sychar. 

Teachings  so  revolutionary  were,  at  once,  a  shock  to  the 
Jewish  mind  and  a  challenge  to  its  prescribed  ideas  of  woman’s 
position. 

This  same  Christ  who  walked  on  earth  has,  through  suc¬ 
ceeding  generations,  continued  to  walk  amid  the  golden  candle¬ 
sticks,  and  it  would  seem  with  quickened  pace  during  this 
century  of  Brotherhood,  which  has  relegated  to  the  past,  false 


397 


ideals  and  conventionalities  and  given  to  the  Church,  not  the 
New  Woman,  but  the  Womanly  Woman,  “ever  altering  yet  un¬ 
altered,”  whose  broadened  vision  is  leading  her  on  to  vaster 
issues. 

Common  gratitude  here  impels  us  to  pause  while  we  pay 
tribute  to  those  who  blazed  our  pathway.  Every  step  of  progress 
has  been  from  off  the  shoulders  of  our  forbears.  Generation 
after  generation  has  had  its  issues,  and  sharp  has  sometimes 
been  the  contest.  Old  land  marks  were  not  removed,  but  de¬ 
cisive  turns  have  pointed  to  new  out-posts,  towards  which  the 
Presbyterian  woman  has  kept  step  in  the  advancing  march. 

As  we  drop  the  curtain  upon  this  momentous  hour  preg¬ 
nant  with  solemn  issues,  it  is  with  the  prayer  that  Elijah’s 
mantle  may  fall  from  flaming  chariots  all  over  our  Southland, 
girding  the  Presbyterian  women  for  higher  and  holier  service 
in  the  Kingdom  of  our  Lord. 

“He  has  sounded  forth  the  trumpet,  that  shall  never  call  retreat; 
He  is  sifting  out  the  hearts  of  men  before  His  Judgment  seat: 
Oh,  be  swift,  my  soul,  to  answer  him!  be  jubilant,  my  feet! 

Our  God  is  marching  on.” 


398 


PIONEER  WOMEN 


AN  APPRECIATION 


After  the  persistent  efforts  of  nearly  two  years  we  present 
to  you  the  imperfect  results  of  our  labor.  It  was  through  Mrs. 
Winsborough,  our  leader,  that  this  historic  enterprise  was 
launched,  and  that,  without  money  or  without  price. 

Through  the  strenuous  efforts  of  our  Synodical  and  Pres- 
byterial  Historians,  it  has  returned  to  us  ladened  with  rich 
treasures  that  would  otherwise  have  been  hopelessly  lost. 

The  search  for  floating  records  and  traditions  has  taught 
us  that  much  yet  remains  to  be  rescued. 

By  no  means  has  it  been  possible  to  include  all  the  data 
furnished  us  within  these  pages,  but  it  is  yours  for  your  Synodi¬ 
cal  Sketches  and  you  are  debtors  to  your  State  Historians. 
Most  valuable  help  has  been  rendered  us  by  Mrs.  W.  K.  Seago, 
Ex-Synodical  President  of  Louisiana,  and  popular  reporter  for 
Summer  Conferences  of  our  Assembly.  Fortunately  for  the 
work,  and  for  our  readers,  the  burden  of  Compiler  and  Assist¬ 
ant  Editor  has  fallen  upon  shoulders  equal  to  it,  in  the  person 
of  Miss  Alice  L.  Eastwood,  of  Louisville,  Kentucky,  who,  at 
sacrificial  cost,  because  of  home  duties,  has  given  to  us  her 
labor  of  love.  Miss  Eastwood  has  been  officially  connected 
with  the  Woman’s  Organized  Work  from  its  beginning,  and 
was  Kentucky’s  Synodical  Secretary  for  nine  years. 

If  some  of  our  States  seem  meager  of  data  it  is  not  be¬ 
cause  we  did  not  exert  ourselves  to  obtain  it.  Through  our 
zeal  in  behalf  of  every  State,  we  prolonged  the  time  and  at 
cost  of  much  personal  effort  did  our  best  to  supplement  the 
results  of  your  historians. 

For  our  Auxiliary  Chapter  we  have  quoted  freely  from 
Miss  Hanna,  well  known  as  the  young  woman,  who  thirty-six 


399 


years  ago,  sounded  the  first  call  to  the  women  for  a  forward 
movement. 

Through  rough  seas  and  fair,  Mr.  R.  E.  Magill,  our  Pub¬ 
lisher,  has  always  been  our  trusted  pilot  in  guiding  aright  the 
woman’s  barque  of  progress.  His  sympathetic  co-operation 
has  meant  much  for  us  in  this  publication,  for  which  we  render 
grateful  acknowledgement. 


Princeton 

Theological  Seminar 

v  Libraries 

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